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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

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

Additional critics argue that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease during ongoing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel 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 favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury