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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

It marks the initial instance 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 widespread yearning to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", 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 design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If 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 celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury