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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 new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the importance of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering 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.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

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

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

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury