🔗 Share this article

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

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping 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 simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury