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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

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

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

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

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

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

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

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "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 refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

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

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

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

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion 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, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury