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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen a shade of white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Others contend that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

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

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

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

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping 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 seem simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

Interior designer 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

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 "rising style in modern homes".

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 accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury