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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

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

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

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

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, 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 specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury