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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a shared desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

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

Beaumont references the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing 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 basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary 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, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert 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 vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury