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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics argue that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during ongoing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, 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'

Lara Clark, a UK-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 work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury