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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence 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 generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Some observers propose that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease amid current societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey 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 suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury