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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes most people occupy.

Some observers argue that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

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

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot 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 "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

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 most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed 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 elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury