🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

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

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express 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 "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury