The dopamine décor trend
Can interior décor make you feel happy?
That’s a question being answered by one of the hottest trends in interiors right now.
The way you décorate your home can have a significant impact on your mood, outlook and energy levels. A pop of vibrant yellow can lift the spirits, for example, and luxurious textures such as velvet or silk can soothe and reassure. The power of colour to influence how we feel isn’t an exact science, but it is nonetheless significant.
Dopamine, the brain’s little cheerleader, is the feel-good molecule that keeps us grooving to life’s rhythm. It’s like the glitter of the neurotransmitter world, adding sparkle to our everyday experiences. Now, here’s the really fun part: colour has the power to make dopamine do the happy dance! Think of it as a vibrant, chromatic conductor of emotions.
Bright and cheerful colours like sunny yellows, electric blues, and zesty reds can coax your brain into a full-on dopamine party. They turn your space into a carnival of joy, making every glance a mini celebration. So, when you deck out your home in a rainbow of hues, you’re not just décorating; you’re inviting dopamine to join the fiesta!
Décor that makes you feel good
And this is the dopamine décor trend. With a penchant for bright colours, quirky patterns, and a whole lot of personality, dopamine décor invites you to celebrate the joy of life within your living spaces. Originating from a desire to infuse homes with positivity and vitality, this trend offers a refreshing departure from conventional aesthetics.
“Associated with pleasurable sensations, dopamine can be released in response to joyous and unexpected interiors designed to make the heart sing. It’s about selecting décorative pieces, furniture and colours that speak to us in a very personal way, create a unique space and bring joy to our lives.”
Whether it’s a bright, vibrant hue that energises us, or a calming blue that soothes us, dopamine décor choices are all about finding the perfect balance to make our homes feel pleasing to be in.
Designing joyful interiors is not just about utilising your own personal style and taste, but also about finding ways to make your space feel unique and reflective of who you are. It could mean adding items that make you smile, such as plants, art, or books, or selecting colours and textures that evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort.
It could also mean incorporating elements of nature into your design, like natural wood or stone, or even adding a splash of colour to brighten up the room. It’s all about creating a space that is special to you and brings you joy.
Working with colours to spark joy
Reflecting the colours of the natural world, greens are known to have a calming effect and can help reduce stress and anxiety. Likewise, blues can be a great mood booster because of their links with blue seas, blue skies and sunny holidays.
A great way to update your space is to add bold, contrasting paint in limited areas of your home. You could paint the door, skirting boards and architraves of your living room, for example, in a bright yellow to introduce an instant hit of ‘dopamine décor’. This approach has the added benefit that it can easily be achieved in a weekend.
An accent chair is another simple way to bring a pop of bright colour into your home. Why not go for a bold red armchair or a cobalt blue office chair? It’s less daunting to be daring with a single piece of furniture, and it’s easy to replace if you fancy a change further down the line.
Here are some more dopamine décor suggestions from our friends at FibreGuard:
Dive into the cloudy soft world of chenille texture mixes
Opulent velvets, in particular, are the perfect way to bring a cocooning, comforting vibe to your home. FibreGuard’s velvets are gorgeously soft to the touch as well as being stain-resistant, durable and easy to clean!
Choose upholstery with distinctive textures that give them a wonderful dimension - one of our velvet collections has a delicious nailhead texture that is just perfect
Pair the curved sofa we suggested above with a textured bouclé upholstery. Our easy clean bouclé fabrics include beautiful yarn-dyed upholstery collections that feel so nice they could be chenille...and a very special, ‘gentle’ bouclé collection that boasts a soft, friendly hand-feel.
Think outside the box by dressing up your walls with upholstery fabric wall coverings. This wall treatment technique is actually far more doable than you might think. It’s a nippy way to create a memorable interior with a built-in wow factor. Hospitality designers who don’t want to go subtle, we dare you to break out the graphics, shapes, geometric, animal patterns, textured wall coverings: everything.
Create spaces that inspire
This trend is a reminder that our surroundings have the power to influence our moods and elevate our spirits. With its bold hues and quirky patterns, dopamine décor has shown us that we can inject a bit of happiness into every corner of our homes. So, why not embark on your own dopamine décor adventure and let the vibrant colours and playful designs enliven your living space? Your home should be a canvas for creativity and a source of endless delight, and the dopamine décor trend is the perfect paintbrush to make it happen. So, go ahead and embrace the colourful chaos – after all, it’s a celebration of life, love, and all the little moments that make us smile.
