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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, 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 feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has designated a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Some observers contend that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease during current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing 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 particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised 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 benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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 vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury