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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

It marks the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Others propose that presenting white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, creating unease within continuing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, 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 colour to express personality.

The vice president 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, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold 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 seems soft and refined rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, 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 vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury