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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

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

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort during ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed 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, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury