21 Ways to Decorate Your Home in Dopamine Style, the Feel-Good Trend We're Loving Right Now!

Dopamine style is trending! But what exactly does this feel-good hormone have to do with decorating? “With dopamine decor, there’s an emphasis on cheerfulness, self-expression, color and creativity — all the things that put a smile on your face and boost your mood,” says Amber Guyton, an interior designer and founder of Blessed Little Bungalow. “The key is creating a cohesive design that’s fun and stimulating but not cluttered and chaotic. You don’t want your home to look like Pee-wee's playhouse!” Ahead, designers weigh in on 21 ways dopamine decor can happy-up your home.

Choose a color you love, something bold that gives you joy, then pick out an object to be the room’s focal point, like a textured wall, chair, art or drapery. “Build up the room around items in that color along with accessories in contrasting hues,” suggests Guyton.

Bold colors and lively prints and patterns define dopamine style, but it’s important to include neutrals like wood furniture and stone to ground the space. “The eyes need a place to rest,” shares Megan Evans, founder of Megan Evans Interiors.

Touch is arguably the second-most important sense when it comes to a dopamine styled interior. “A soft, velvet sofa creates a feeling of comfort,” says Guyton, who also loves to play with leather, mohair, boucle and corduroy, while also adding contrasting textures like natural fibers. “Shaggy rugs in animal and geometric prints add to an already tactile experience,” she adds.

Whether used as a dominant or accent shade, you can’t go wrong with yellow, a color that exudes cheerfulness and radiates energy. “Smiley faces are yellow for a reason!” laughs Guyton, who likes to feature this happy hue on cabinets, furniture, wall art and accessories.

Creative and playful light fixtures add character to a dopamine space. “Think a whimsical chandelier, a uniquely shaped lamp or a charming vintage sconce,” says Nadia Watts, an interior designer and owner of Nadia Watts Interior Design.

Let loose and decorate your walls with a mix of framed artwork, mirrors and vintage items. “Pay attention to scale to ensure you have a variety of shapes and sizes,” shares Watts. “Dopamine style should look fun but also intentional.”

Consider a small space like a laundry or powder room to see how dopamine style plays out in your home. “A mudroom is the perfect gateway to introducing more color and pattern into your home,” says Guyton.

The quirkier the collection, the better. “This style is all about nostalgia and recreating childhood feel-good memories,” says Watts. Wallpaper or paint a room in a color or print that’s unexpected, then fill it with joyful accessories, like this privacy screen that resembles the childhood game Connect Four, designed by Jasmine Roth.

“Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy with color,” says Guyton. “A dopamine-inspired room should look like a Crayola box filled with bright and bold colors, including hot pink, chrome yellow, tangy tangerine, fire engine red, lime green and cobalt blue.” Just remember to ground the space with a base color to pull everything together, adds Watts.

Broad stripes, checkerboard, dots, zigzags and animal prints work on dopamine-inspired walls. “You can never go wrong with large florals, whether on pillows, wallpaper or upholstery,” says Emma Beryl Kemper, an interior designer and owner of Emma Beryl Interiors.

Dopamine style gives you the freedom to mix prints and patterns from different eras — for example, a modern graphic wallpaper and a vintage tile floor. “Don’t shy away from a white backdrop which can make bolder colors pop,” advises Kemper.

Bold stripes on a rug, wallpaper or upholstery will add instant energy to your dopamine-inducing space. “I love an oversized stripe on the floor or walls because you can mix in a lot of smaller scale patterns throughout the furniture or on the throw pillows,” says Kemper.

Use bold colors and prints to update antique finds. “The right mix of color, texture and patterns will bring styles and time periods together to create cohesion within the chaos,” says Watts.

Layering patterns and color, such as graphic wall art over a bold floral wallpaper, adds excitement and energy to a space. “The beauty of dopamine style is you can layer pretty much anything when it comes to textiles, wallpaper, art and upholstery,” notes Watts.

Ease into dopamine design by using your favorite color and then adding more of that color as time goes by. Guyton says, “The same navy blue or red hue doesn't have to appear in every space, but having some shade from each color family will create a more cohesive feel.”

Jewel tones like emerald, teal, gold and magenta will add depth to your space along with a feeling of luxury. “Vibrant jewel tones create a cozy and comfortable environment that’s elevated and grounded all at once,” says Watts.

Using analogous colors next to each other on the color wheel allows for the use of bold and bright colors while keeping things sophisticated. “Think blue and purple and pink and orange,” says Watts.

Mixing eye-catching colors, textures and patterns that evoke a range of emotions is key to dopamine decor, including those that are unexpectedly paired. “Imagine a leopard rug in a space with a textured mustard sofa, floral teal wallpaper and a vintage light fixture,” says Guyton.

Classic dopamine styled rooms often mix modern clean lines, scalloped edges, antique carved wood and squiggly or wavy frames, notes Guyton.

Retro appliances are colorful and playful, which makes them perfectly suited for dopamine style. “I love a good Big Chill refrigerator, KitchenAid mixer or a SMEG toaster on a counter for a warm and lived-in feel,” says Guyton.