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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected 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 re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been chosen 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 embodies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Others contend that presenting white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during current societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than stark".

In contrast 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, restful atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury