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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning 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.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Some observers argue that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more 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, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance 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 track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury