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For many people 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 latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

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

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within current societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly 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 evolved into a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing 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 seem simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, 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 selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury