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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, 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 importance of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective desire to slow down, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems 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 colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping 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 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 "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury