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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers contend that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings 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 austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly 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 evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries 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 unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury