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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

It marks the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Others propose that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems soft and refined rather than stark".

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

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

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

"White forces 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 presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury