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For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, 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 "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert 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 vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life 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 celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury