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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for 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 designated white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a shared urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes most people inhabit.

Some observers propose that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

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

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

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

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

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

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant trend indicator.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection 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 benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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

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

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset 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 ideal, particularly during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury