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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

A representative 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 refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury