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

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks 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 "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a collective urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics propose that framing white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

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

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, 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 colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary 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, restful ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury