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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

It signifies 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 reflects a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others contend that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous 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 represent "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

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

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

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 "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury