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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease amid current societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies virtue".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read 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 rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

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 atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury