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For those who has spent years renting, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject 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 stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured 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 hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

"Should 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 absence of colour", 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, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury