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For those 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 feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a widespread desire to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene 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 give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues 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 feels intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, 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 specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury