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For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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 "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers contend that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease during current societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

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

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than stark".

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, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, 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 "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury