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

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

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

It represents the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority inhabit.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

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

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

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 "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury