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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

It represents the first time a pure white has been honored 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 state of being" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Others propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury