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For many people who has spent a long time 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 feel like a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of stillness".

It represents the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current societal conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

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

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

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 vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting 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 basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury