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

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs 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 professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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, restful atmosphere".

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

Interior designer 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 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 background for design features like panelling 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 familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

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

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury