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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 injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Others argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, creating unease during current political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a neutral 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 symbolize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

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

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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 exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury