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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue 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 renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Others argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-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 highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

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

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues 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 seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "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 body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury