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For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

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

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details 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 poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes 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