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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, 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 be perceived as a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen 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 tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Others propose that presenting white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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 calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing 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 simple, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury