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For those who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

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

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

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

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Some observers argue that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease within current societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-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 suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

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 "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch 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 a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, 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 "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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 background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury