For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.
This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.
In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of stillness".
It signifies the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.
As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.
But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.
Additional critics propose that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, creating unease amid current societal dialogues about race and representation.
Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.
"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".
He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".
Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.
"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".
Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.
Lara Clark, a Surrey 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 suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.
"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.
"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."
She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."
The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.
The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels intentional and versatile".
Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.
Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.
These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, 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 appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant 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 peaceful, calming atmosphere".
"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."
Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick 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 not a top choice".
He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop 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 bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.
Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.
"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.
But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."
She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".
Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury
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