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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks amplifying "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont 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.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant trend indicator.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems soft and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" 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 incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset 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 aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury