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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

It represents the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort within current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

Although it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

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

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels soft and refined 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, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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 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 basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury