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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has designated white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, creating unease within current societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express 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 "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

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

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Interior designer 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 vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury