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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers contend that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease within continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based 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 marketed 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 particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert 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 "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

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

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury