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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing 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 influential color company has designated white as its annual hue.

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

It marks the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a shared desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, 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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted 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 contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury