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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

It signifies the first time a pure 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 "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a widespread desire to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers contend that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during continuing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel 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 favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

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

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

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style 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.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury