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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Some observers argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president 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 refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

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

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways 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 presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury