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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

It marks the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends surface appeal, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional 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 a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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 backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury