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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and signifies a collective desire to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade 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 being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism 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 fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury