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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

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 preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

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 narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury