🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

To be precise, 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 importance of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority inhabit.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, noting that white carries 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 austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted 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 wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, 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 familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury