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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 injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its premier 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 worth of stillness".

It represents the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant trend indicator.

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

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

Contrary 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, restful ambiance".

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

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

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury