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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has designated white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It represents the first time white has been picked 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 state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous 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 represent "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly 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 hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant 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 peaceful, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, 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 background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

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

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury