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

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational risks racial undertones, causing discomfort during current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely 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 symbolize "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality signifies goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey 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 extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than severe".

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 communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background 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 presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "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 shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "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 uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury