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For many people who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a widespread yearning to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel clinical at home," she explains.

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour 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 chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised 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 not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling 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 presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When 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 uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury