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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

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

It signifies the initial instance 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 "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a widespread desire to slow down, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers contend that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within current societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting 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 "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels 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 hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury