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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of stillness".

It signifies the first time 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 "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective desire to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Others argue that framing white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, creating unease during current political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer references the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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".

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

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than stark".

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, calming ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, 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 background 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury