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

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored 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 state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears deeper meanings 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 symbolize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

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

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, 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 pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding 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 shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to showcase individuality.

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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant trend indicator.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold 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 dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Interior designer 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 a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury