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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been honored 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 signifies a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Some observers argue that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", 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 panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury