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For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of stillness".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Others argue that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, 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 simple, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

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 serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted 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 "growing trend in modern homes".

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 bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces 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 self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury