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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 adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread urge to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes most people inhabit.

Some observers argue that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, creating unease within current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees 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 pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

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

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

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features 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 poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury