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For many people who has spent years 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 seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others contend that framing white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality 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 included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it 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 panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge 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, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury