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For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for 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.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others propose that framing white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

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

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways 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 poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," 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 pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury