The Color of the Year has everyone raising eyebrows.
Travel back to the days of asking someone “What’s your favorite color?” The answer is entirely subjective—with infinite options. So, naturally, Pantone’s Color of the Year pick is rarely to everyone’s taste. But this year, the selected tone has been deemed downright tone-deaf.
Cloud Dancer—a shade of white with the tiniest hint of yellow—sparked discourse among color enthusiasts dissatisfied with the selection amid ongoing political dialogue surrounding race and the rollback of DEI programs. Some say it also signals wealth and elitism, noting that other years boasting true neutrals—Sand Dollar in 2006 and Ultimate Gray in 2021—arrived in similarly fraught political moments.
Despite the in-depth theories—and some even going so far as to propose an entirely different deep green hue—Pantone attempted to shut down the chatter immediately.
“The global team at the Pantone Color Institute selected this color for its emotional and creative resonance, not as a statement on politics, ideology or race,” the brand said in a statement. “Pantone does not assign political narratives to color; to select or avoid a hue on that basis would give such narratives a significance they do not hold in this process.”
Others argue Cloud Dancer is simply a dull pick for a year that could use bold color and brighter energy—and not “the exact shade of a white shirt after 20 washes.” And if that sentiment sounds familiar, it’s because the internet said the same thing about 2025’s Mocha Mousse. The only thing every Pantone pick has in common? Someone will always be displeased—and vocal—about it.
The rise of the clean girl aesthetic is clearly undeniable. Case in point: After years of bright swatches, the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year Mocha Mousse reigns as one of the few true neutrals since the launch of the annual pick.
Evoking feelings of connection and comfort, the soft and warm brown hue complements both earthy and sophisticated tones, extending “our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to aspirational and luxe,” says Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman.
Local designer and Sass+Co founder Lisa Masteller sees the pick as a blank canvas. “You can use a neutral and still have a lot of fun,” she emphasizes. “It can give off an energy you wouldn’t think a neutral could do.” And thanks to its neutral stance, Mocha Mousse is timeless—you can expect its longevity to play out longer than other brighter color trends.
For a bolder twist, pair with blues, reds and greens, with wooden furniture picks in the tonality of on the brown hue. Here, Masteller shares inspo for incorporating the Color of the Year into your space.
WEB EXCLUSIVE These plants—inspired by Pantone’s color of the year—are simply iris-istible.
Spring is just around the corner. Dig into the feeling and the Pantone color of the year with these Veri Peri-inspired plants. Gorgeous periwinkle adds that perfect pop of (on-trend!) color to your garden so you can fling into spring with these six stem-tacular plants fit for any outdoor space.
This bee balm will add color and contrast to any florals you might already have growing. And—even better—the wild bergamot is edible! Use the leaves as a garnish in salads, or make tea out of them. And if you plant these bad boys by your house, you’ll get some fly new roommates: bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
This flower loooooves attention. Growing taller than your average toddler and shining bright blue, these gorgeous flowers were once thought to cure syphilis… The more you know!
A garden without these pretty-in-peri flowers would be dis-aster-ous. And they bloom from love (literally, they have heart-shaped petals), so they’re experts in bringing a smile to your face—and beauty to your garden.
Keep your garden fruitful with this Very Peri berry that’ll make you anything but blue. Homegrown blueberries are easy to care for and delicious (blueberry smoothies, anyone?), and they make the perfect last-minute gift for family and friends.
Bring California dreamin’ to your own backyard with inspo from the beautiful bursts of color these showstopping florals produce—from pinks to blues and everything in between. The Hydrangea is sure to spruce up your yard and have your friends saying “you grow, girl!”
Roses are red, violets are blue (er, purple?)… Stemming from the tropical rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya, these houseplants are angels—they’re easy to take care of and double as decor to spice up any room.
These are transformative times. And shedding new light on our future, this year’s Pantone Color of the Year Very Peri at once heralds an inquisitive, intriguing and empowering mix of innovation while enlivening our creative spirit and encouraging inventiveness to help us “embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, [and] open us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives.” Merging what blue oft represents (faithful, constant) with the energy of red, the novel dynamic periwinkle hue with its vivid violet red undertone adds shades of new perspective that resonate with the here and now to inspiring effect. So as we bust out of the shackles of isolation, this “happiest and warmest of all blue hues”—with its laidback confidence and bold curiosity—is intended to help us “embrace this altered landscape of possibilities… opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives.” Looks like the future is pretty lit.
“Veri Peri is an unassuming shade with lots of potential. Pantone chose a periwinkle shade with blue undertones and a slight energy of red to bring playfulness and personality to any space while still being soft enough to use in bedrooms.”
“Not blue, not purple, this is one of the freshest colors on the 2022 horizon. Think of summer hydrangeas and one of my favorite blooms, the iris, and you will immediately know the feeling you get from this royal color. It pairs well with greens and yellows of any shade.”
“Periwinkle is a deeply nuanced hue that offers great flexibility in decorating because it can be paired with so many other colors—yellows, greens, pinks and reds, chocolate browns, taupes, and grays. It would be perfectly darling in little a girl’s room, but can just as easily work in a sophisticated application like a moody study or a glamorous bedroom.”
