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

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of introspection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers argue that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, stating that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer references the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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 energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold 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 specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury