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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of introspection".

It signifies the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes most people call home.

Some observers propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid ongoing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white bears societal connotations and is seldom 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, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

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

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

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

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen 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 evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury