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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, 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 feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees 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 structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour 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 selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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