🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers propose that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a neutral 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 "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

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

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Beginning 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 more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury