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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

It signifies the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Others contend that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, creating unease within continuing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade seems soft and refined 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 living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury