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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease within continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

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

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

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems 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 peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding 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 presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury