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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a widespread yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort amid continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of desolation", 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".

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 sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson 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 repaint, 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 "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted 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 panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic 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 A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury