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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, 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 feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a widespread urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality signifies goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

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

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 Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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 ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple 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 elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury