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For many people who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others contend that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

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

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

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

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

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

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, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

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

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury