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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has designated a shade of white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread desire to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Some observers argue that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality equals goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

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

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, 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 bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury