🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease during ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant 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 boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

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 vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding 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 poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale 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 advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury