🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of 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 chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Some observers propose that framing white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort amid continuing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

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

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

The vice president 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 become a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury