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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, 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 personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

It marks the initial instance 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 "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers contend that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease within current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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 architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily feel clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels soft 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 communal spaces where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

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