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For many people who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of introspection".

It signifies the first time white has been honored 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 state of being" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Some observers contend that presenting white as aspirational risks racial undertones, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries societal connotations 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 symbolize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy 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 clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

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 serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick 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 not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury