For the first time in the quarter-century the Pantone Color Institute has been picking a color of the year, a shade of white has been selected. This year’s choice, a balanced hue called “Cloud Dancer” is described as “A whisper of calm in a noisy world.” But to some in the design community, that whisper was either inaudible or piercing.
There were those who thought the color was a chromatic cop-out, bland and boring. Others criticized the choice as being out of touch with today’s political climate, especially in light of recent rollbacks of DEI initiatives.
In response to the latter, a Pantone spokesperson clarified that the selection was driven by the shade’s emotional and creative impact, not politics, ideology or race, saying, “Pantone does not assign political narratives to color. Choosing or rejecting a hue on such grounds would give those narratives undue significance in our process.”
The major paint and coating companies reveal their COTYs starting midyear, while Pantone has a tradition of announcing its pick on the first Thursday of December – and the brands’ clear commitment to bold hues may have created an expectation that Pantone would follow suit.
Lauren Lerner, founder and principal designer of Scottsdale-based Living with Lolo, said, “In design, white is never just white. It carries intention. What I love about Cloud Dancer is the sense of serenity it brings without ever feeling sterile or flat.”
White forces designers to focus on form, proportion and quality notes Jessica Shaw, interior design director at The Turett Collaborative in New York City. “Creating an interior landscape in such a shade allows interesting architectural geometry to soften and shadow play to enhance the forms. It also provides a backdrop for bolder silhouettes to activate a space in the form of furniture and lighting.”
Confident Colors
The story beyond neutrals is all about saturation. Rich hues ranging from burgundy tones and chocolatey browns to biophilic blues and jungle greens have become the go-tos for accents and color-drench treatments alike.
Dusky – not pale – pastels are also making waves, with their ethos of heritage and hygge. Designer Lauren Geremia of New York-based Geremia Design said of the shades, “They can make a space feel like a vintage photograph, a little hard to place timewise.”
Color Beyond Cosmetics
Of course, with interior design taking a sharper turn toward inclusion and intention, there are more consequential issues concerning color. On a scientific level, one of the most intriguing explorations is a sensory innovation developed by AkzoNobel’s Coral brand.
Developed in collaboration with VML Brasil and the Dorina Nowill Foundation for the Blind, the “Touching Colors” project transforms the traditional visual concept of color into a rich multi-sensory experience that allows visually impaired people to experience colors through emotion, poetry and sound.
Drawing on neuroscience research showing that color can be perceived through emotions, memories and sensations in the brains of blind persons, the program reimagines 70 colors from Coral’s portfolio into “Cromopoems®.” These poetic descriptions combine Braille, sound and sensory associations to provide a new way of interacting with color. One example of a Cromopoem demonstrates its lyrical language: “The scent of roses drifting, weightless, in the air. Love when it’s still shy and new. The champagne bubbles tickling the tip of the nose. This color is Sparkling Pink – a medium, opaque shade of pink.”
To make the palette widely accessible, the Cromopoems have been compiled into a tactile color fan printed on black cards, integrating Braille with descriptive texts that convey the essence of each color. Audio versions are also available, through a dedicated YouTube playlist, ensuring that those without access to the color fan can still engage with the experience.
Professional Development
It can be challenging to keep up with all the color currents. Erica Illions, a designer and project manager at Dallas-based Kitchen Design Concepts, currently leads the firm’s Revive division, which focuses on “facelift” projects – kitchen and bath updates that refresh a space without requiring a full remodel.
She recently earned the Color Specialist badge from the NKBA. Asked about her motivation for taking the class, she said, “Since our Revive line of business really focuses on finishes like paint, countertops, backsplashes and flooring and less on cabinetry and floorplan design, I thought the Color Specialist badge would be most beneficial to our clients. Also, as people are using more color in their spaces now (no more gray and white kitchens, woo-hoo!) I thought now would be a good time to learn everything I could to better help our clients in the design process.”
The curriculum encompasses color systems, color wheels, color properties (the difference between hue, tint, shade, tone, etc.), different types of color schemes, the way light can affect color, the human psychology and physiology of color, the emotional impact of certain colors, history of color palettes and how to determine the quality of color in products like paint.
Of the course, Illions said, “I found it very insightful; it helped me understand color better. Before, when I put colors together, I could tell if they were compatible – but now I know why they do or don’t go together. This has been helpful when presenting different color options to clients.”
