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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective desire to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality signifies virtue".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"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 give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", 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 benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus 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 advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury