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For many people who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers propose that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease within ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", 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".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, 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 architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

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

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury