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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at 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 designated a shade of white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

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

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Others propose that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey 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 highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

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

A representative 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful trend indicator.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce 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 "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury