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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease within ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

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

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative 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, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision 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 soft and elegant rather than severe".

In contrast 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, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways 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 unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury