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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as 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 touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Others argue that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease within continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

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

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

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 feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 backdrop for architectural details 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.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury