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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks 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 philosophy" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, messier homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, 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".

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

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

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

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

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

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

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it 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 arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb 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 wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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