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For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It marks the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant 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 communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

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 vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury