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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance 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 mindset" and signifies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, messier homes most people call home.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

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

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, 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 architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury