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

This time around, the influential color company has designated white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics propose that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

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

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised 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 benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes 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