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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning 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 renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Additional critics argue that framing white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

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

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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 communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

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 a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury