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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It marks the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

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

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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