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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast 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 peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

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