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For those who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Some observers contend that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted 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 curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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 accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury