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For those 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 time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical 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".

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", 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 chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

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

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury