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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Others propose that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined 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 redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways 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 accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury