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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that presenting white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, creating unease during ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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".

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury