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For anyone who has spent a long time 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 time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a widespread urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Others propose that positioning white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting 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 amplifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

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

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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 benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries 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 industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury