🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored 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 mindset" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Others argue that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease during continuing societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

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

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 deliberate and versatile".

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

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

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, 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 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 "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", 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 nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

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

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury