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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

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

'Hospital Vibes'

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

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

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets 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 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 background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury