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For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing 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 influential color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

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.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a widespread desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Others contend that positioning white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic 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 showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", 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 wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury