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For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

It represents the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease within continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," 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 removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

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

Design expert 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

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

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury