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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It represents the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Others contend that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase 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 adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection 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 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 modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated 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, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, 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 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