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

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Some observers contend that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, 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 structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems soft and refined 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 "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury