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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has designated a shade of white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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".

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz 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, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, 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 A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, 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 problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury