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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

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

The designer points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed 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 colour to express 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, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based 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 marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade 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 communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer 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 a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury