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For anyone 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 latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and reflects a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped 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 taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

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

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

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 sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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 familiar with vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury