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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 latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and reflects a shared urge to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort within current societal discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, 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 "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become 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 most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

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