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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality equals virtue".

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

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

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

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

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, 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 seem basic, "this specific hue seems gentle 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".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background 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 presents a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury