8 Ways To Use Dopamine Décor To Boost Your Happiness At Home
8 Ways To Use Dopamine Décor To Boost Your Happiness At Home
Discover the feel-good trend, dopamine décor, and easy ways to introduce this joyful style to your home, with insights from our resident stylist.
If you’re wondering ‘what is dopamine décor?’, then picture your home filled with cheerful colours, whimsical prints and positive vibes. Often called the ‘happy hormone’, dopamine is a natural brain chemical that gives you feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.
The great thing about this trend is that a dopamine-designed interior can mean different things to everyone. So, whether it’s wild clashing prints or a more polished look that pairs a contemporary sofa with colourful accents, there’s no wrong approach here if it makes you happy.
From what colours to choose to the best colour blocking combinations, discover the many ways you can incorporate this trend in your home with the help of our Senior Stylist and Creative Coordinator at Furniture And Choice, Amanda Bailey-Rook.
(Credit: Furniture And Choice)
Amanda Bailey-Rook
Senior Stylist & Creative Coordinator at Furniture And Choice
Amanda has been an in-house stylist at Furniture And Choice for over six years now. She has gained experience over the years by starting out her career in women's lingerie, children's wear and interiors, then as a freelance stylist for many different companies.
Her absolute passion is with interiors and interior design. She wholeheartedly loves creating rooms that inspire and bring joy to people.
Bright and cheerful colours are what initially come to mind when you think of dopamine decorating but it’s always a good tip to start with a light base. Soft neutrals like white, cream, beige or off-white on the walls are a great way to balance the room and create a relaxed feel.
Use cheerful colours like pink, orange and blue as a punchy contrast to the neutral walls. It’s important also to mix textures to avoid overwhelming the room. A velvet sofa and soft rug keeps the room cosy while still maintaining that feeling of joy associated with dopamine décor.
Joyful, happy, cheerful, soft and playful - there are so many adjectives to describe pink. “Pink promotes happiness and positivity and can uplift a whole space,” Amanda says. “Decorating with pink is a happy statement, whether you’re colour blocking a wall or just using pops of pink your promoting happiness and sparks of joy.”
The key here is to decide what type of pink you want to decorate your space with. Bright pinks like neon or hot pink are great for a bold statement and a burst of energy while soft pinks add a more relaxing (but still happy) element to the room. Pink’s versatility extends not just as a paint colour but also as wallpaper and the colour pick for accessories. So it’s really your choice whether you want to use pink as the main colour of the room or as an accent.
As a space often buzzing with activity, your kitchen diner is a great place to try out dopamine decorating ideas. Since it’s the place where people gather around it’s best to choose a colour that matches this energy like yellow or orange.
“You can make a statement with a yellow feature wall or introduce smaller touches with funky artwork,” Amanda suggests. “If you’re unsure where to start, it’s a good idea to introduce small touches with crockery or tableware and build from there. Taking inspiration from your favourite brightly coloured mug is always a good idea.” Balance the bright touches with a neutral base like cream, white or beige. Soften the look with relaxing textures like a wooden dining table and fabric chairs to prevent overwhelming the space.
Bringing colour blocking and dopamine décor together will uplift a space no doubt. “For colour blocking, you should pick either one statement colour or two colours that complement each other,” Amanda says. “You can really transform a room by adding colour, even if it’s just one wall or a section like a chimney breast wall.”
“Again, it’s about picking colours you love - strong dopamine colours are yellow, pink, bright blues, zesty oranges and brighter shades of green,” Amanda explains. “Colours like blue and pink or green and orange work well together. However, avoid combining colours like red and green or purple and yellow as these colour combinations create an outdated look.”
“Introducing patterns into your home doesn’t have to be an obvious choice like wallpaper,” Amanda says. “You can instead bring patterns in through soft furnishings and accessories, like a striped cushion, a chequerboard rug, or repeated patterns in wall mounted artwork.” Look for shapes and prints that feel playful to you. For example, candy stripe cushions, wavy vases and mushroom lamps have a carefree, retro feel to them while still being grown up.
Textures and finishes also play a big role when introducing pattern too. If the patterns are on cushions or artwork, choose a soft and cosy base like a cotton or plush fabric sofa in a neutral colour. Having cohesive textures and finishes allows you to go all out in terms of prints and pattern and make your home a cheerful space.
Colour drenching where you decorate your room all in one colour is the hot new trend taking the design world by storm. Since it is an interior design idea where colour plays a key role, it makes perfect sense to combine it with dopamine décor trend.
“If you want to be bold then colour drenching is for you but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bright colour just a colour that you love,” Amanda explains. “If you’re painting your room, then walls, skirting boards and radiators will all need to be colour drenched. If you really want to make a statement, paint your ceiling too. You can paint furniture as well or find the shade in a matching sofa. This may be the latest design trend but ultimately if you love the room you create that’s all that matters.”
Modern earth tones are also trending and highlight the calming side of dopamine décor. Using an earth tone that’s a mix of orange and terracotta will not only inject energy and happiness into your living room but also add depth to your interior. After all, terracotta is the trending earth tone if you feel like your walls need a dopamine boost.
For earth tones like terracotta, lean into the biophilic side of this trend where you take inspiration from the outdoors. With terracotta walls warming up the room, emphasise natural materials like wood and stick to clean, modern silhouettes when choosing furniture especially your sofa. The lighting should also be soft for a relaxing ambience.
If you don’t have an architectural feature to highlight you can create your own with a dopamine touch. Opt for arches and curves to promote a sense of wellbeing, flow and relaxation in the home. For instance, you can create a feature wall by painting an arch in the colour of your choice in your dining space.
A good tip is to map out your design before you start painting, like where the semi-circle should be and the length of the arch. Choosing the right colour is also key to elevating your space. Opt for a bold contrast colour to perk up the rest of the interior. Complement the painted arch with other curved details such as a round dining set and statement lighting.
We hope you enjoyed reading our dopamine décor ideas and may inspire you to decorate your own home. Interested in more articles like this? Check out our yellow living room and red living room ideas for more stylish inspiration.
