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For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current societal discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

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

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-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 highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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 accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, 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, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury