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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its premier hue.

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

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now risks amplifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

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

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to showcase individuality.

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

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", 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 architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, 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 familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury