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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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 described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within ongoing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, 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".

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

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president 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 refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

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

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group 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 amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury