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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance 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.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within current societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees 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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

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

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first 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