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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at 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 direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has designated a shade of white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

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, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

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

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", 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 benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury