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

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

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

It signifies the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread yearning to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 intentional and versatile".

Since its launch 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 energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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 peaceful, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries 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 poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

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