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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by 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 time around, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance 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 philosophy" and signifies a collective desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, messier homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white holds cultural undertones 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 stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical 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 bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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 a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, 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, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade seems 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 living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Interior designer Another professional 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 "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

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

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury