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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of introspection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous 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 symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

The designer cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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 work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel 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 shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy 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 fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold 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 specific hue feels soft 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 "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Interior designer 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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 accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury