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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia 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 renowned color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective yearning to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous 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 "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping 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 feels soft and refined rather than stark".

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

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

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

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury