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

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics propose that framing white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid continuing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey 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 extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets 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 a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

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

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, 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 initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury