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For those who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others contend that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

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

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

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

Contrary 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 serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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 accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury