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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics contend that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease within current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel sterile at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury