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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of stillness".

It marks the first time a pure white has been picked 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 mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Others contend that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease during current societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer references the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

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

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, 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 extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president 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, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

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

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways 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", indicating a shift towards refinement 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 continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury