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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Some observers propose that framing white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort amid ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

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

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

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

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

Past choices have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant 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 "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection 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 especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury