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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has designated 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 rediscovering the worth of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Some observers propose that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

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

The designer points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert 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 "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating 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 nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury