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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has designated white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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 suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues 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 chosen as it "integrates perfectly 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 trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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, explaining that white can work especially effectively 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

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

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury