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For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

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

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during ongoing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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 pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, 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 "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details 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 poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury