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For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

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 mindset" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Some observers propose that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

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

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

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

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping 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 basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces 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."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury