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For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a collective urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

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

Additional critics argue that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "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 chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing 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 appear basic, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style 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 familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury