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For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

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

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort during continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

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 softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

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

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional 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, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling 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 presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury