What Is Dopamine Decor & Is It Right for Your Home? | Family Handyman

By Erica Young

Updated on Aug. 31, 2024

Find out how dopamine decor can help infuse your home with color, pattern, and nostalgia.

Think back to your childhood bedroom, teen space or even your college dorm. Most likely those spaces were full of color, funky accessories and yes, probably a poster of your favorite celebrity or band tacked up on the wall. Dopamine decor is an interior design style that allows you to tap into that nostalgia and infuse your home with happiness.

In a nutshell—decorating your home should be fun! Ahead you’ll find interior designer Helen Austen‘s best tips on how to make dopamine decor work for you. (It’s probably best to leave the NSYNC poster in storage, though.)

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Dopamine decor is designing a space focused solely on what brings you joy. “Dopamine is often referred to as a ‘feel-good’ neurochemical and influences our experience of joy and happiness,” says Austen. “By adding color, pattern, and sentimental decor, you can increase your sense of warmth and happiness in your spaces; hence the ‘dopamine decor’ name.”

By using dopamine decor, you have permission to let loose and stop overthinking the design of your home. Surround yourself with things that make you happy, regardless if they fit current trends. Joyful decorating will vary by person, but dopamine decor has become synonymous with bright colors, unique accent pieces, and plenty of patterns. However, don’t forget to keep yourself in check when in comes to over decorating.

A post shared by Geri Sammut-Alessi (@overatno18)

This cheerful bedroom from @overatno18 features all the elements of dopamine decor. A bright green paint color sets the tone, while layers of bedding and a colorful gallery wall bring in an abundance of patterns.

COURTESY @THE_SHOESTRING_HOME/INSTAGRAM

This dopamine living room from @the_shoestring_home is drenched in color including an orange couch and a pink striped rug. Notice how the dark blue paint color helps to ground the space so the bright colors are cheerful, but not overwhelming.

COURTESY @HONEYJOYHOME/INSTAGRAM

What says happiness more than a pink bathtub? This whimsical bathroom from @honeyjoyhome has multiple patterns and colorful vintage-inspired tile, but the overall design is still well-balanced and inviting.

Like any design style, there are benefits and drawbacks to dopamine decor. The advantage of dopamine decor is in the name—the happy feelings! “Dopamine decor helps us to make choices that stimulate positive and uplifting feelings,” says Austen. “It can also increase your sense of energy and wellbeing.”

On the other hand, dopamine decor’s bright and busy attributes can be too much for some spaces. “For most neurotypical people, if you add too much intense color and pattern in an area you spend a lot of time in — like a living room, kitchen or primary bedroom — it can feel too intense and overwhelming,” says Austen. She suggests starting small with dopamine decor like in a powder room, laundry room, or entryway.

Dopamine decor can be whatever you want it to be, the only requirement is that the design sparks joy for you personally. Austen says, “Follow your intuition and choose colors and patterned wallpaper that make you smile inside. Be brave, try new things, and don’t listen to what your mother-in-law or neighbor thinks about your choices.”