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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 be perceived as a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance 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 "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared urge to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Others argue that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey 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 architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour 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 selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement 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 "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury