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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This year, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics propose that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

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

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group 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 aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury