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For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers propose that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

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

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative 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, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, 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 appear basic, "this particular shade 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, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert 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 a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, 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 accustomed to bold shades.

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

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury