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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It marks the first time a pure white has been honored 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 reflects a shared desire to slow down, reset and find calm 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 seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Some observers argue that framing white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms 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 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury