🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others argue that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease amid continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected 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 professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

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, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it 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 "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, 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 accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury