🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Some observers propose that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury