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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, 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 seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of introspection".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism 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 sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees 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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour 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 "integrates perfectly 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 significant trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

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

"Should you don't want to repaint, 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 "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate 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 advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury