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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Some observers propose that presenting white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within current societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile 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 "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", 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 chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade seems soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" 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 repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style 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 familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication 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 nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

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