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For those who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine 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".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson 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 incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer 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 merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "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 form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury