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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 injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

It marks the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Others propose that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, arguing that white holds 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 austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

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

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws 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 a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury