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For those 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 feel like a direct affront.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of introspection".

It represents the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others argue that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a neutral 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 represent "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed 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 particular shade seems soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

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 "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple 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 Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury