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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, stating that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

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

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury