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For anyone who has spent years 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 feel like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

It represents the initial instance 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 "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

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

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, 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 appear basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury