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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, 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".

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep 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 clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

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

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury