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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Some observers contend that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, 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 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 feel sterile at home," she explains.

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

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

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 "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, 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, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

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

In apparel, 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.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed 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 lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury