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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort amid continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

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

The designer cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

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

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels gentle 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".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback 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 not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, 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 presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury