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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Others contend that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

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

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury