🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It signifies the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Others contend that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems soft and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

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 fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury