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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers contend that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees 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 bright whites seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

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

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" 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 redecorate, 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 "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury