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

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance 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 mindset" and reflects a widespread urge to slow down, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase 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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, 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 basic, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming 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 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 merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury