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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

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

It represents the initial instance a pure 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 mindset" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers contend that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during continuing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries 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 notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

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

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", 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, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement 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 self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury