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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Others propose that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within continuing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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 suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included 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, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, 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 "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways 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 bold shades.

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

"White forces 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 carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury