🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of introspection".

It marks the first time 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 signifies a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", arguing that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer references the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, 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 structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

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

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury