The new ‘dopamine decor’ trend focuses on what makes you happy at home

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Dopamine decor: It’s the new catchphrase for a trending interior design and decorating styles and it basically boils down to adding more of what makes you happy to your home.

“Essentially, it’s about creating a happy space,” says Shona East, a home and design content creator who goes by @honeyjoyhome on Instagram.

“Dopamine decor uses bright colors and fun patterns to add a playful and uplifting vibe,” she added. And you don’t have to be a maximalist to embrace the trend, since even a small selection of objects fits the what-makes-you-happy vibe.

East sees dopamine decor as embracing individuality and the idea that, “this is me, this is my space and I’m going to make it my own,” she says.

“Ultimately, it’s about what lifts your mood and that’s a very personal thing,” East said. “Above all, it makes people feel good and gives them the confidence to push themselves and make energy-boosting changes to their everyday space.”

Heidi Marler of the Instagram account @home_n_tidy_with_heidi is a huge lover of colorful homes and how it “triggers happiness in our souls,” she says.

As for where to shop, both East and Marler recommend Junique for standout wall prints and home accessories. East says also loves the “quirky, handmade decorative masks” from Umasqu and the handmade pillows from LauraHoldenStudio on Etsy, seen below.

@lauraholdenstudio

Some orders going out this week! Summer is a little quieter & slower so it’s lovely to have somethings going out to new homes! #smallbusiness #textileartist #etsy #velvetcushions #somerset #strawberry

♬ Renee – SALES

Thrifting and antiquing are also great ways to source items for dopamine decor.

“I mainly source my decor second-hand but I also love decorating on a budget,” said Dani of TikTok account @danidopaminedecor. But she says also loves a good “shopping haul.”

And on that note, here are some potential purchases to inspire your own dopamine decor obsession. But just remember, it’s all about what brings you joy.

Food-Related Ceramics

One of Dani’s loves is strawberry–themed home and kitchen accessories. Marler is also a fan of “food-related ceramics.”

So this strawberry tea kettle from Supreme Housewares would probably make both of them happy. It costs $54.49 on Amazon and the brand also has a number of other fun tea kettle designs.

MORE: The Best Tea Pot Kettle

Buy the Fruit Decor Whistling Tea Kettle at Amazon for $54.49.

Rainbow Everything

Color is a big part of dopamine decor. And these hand-felted, rainbow wool coasters from Nepal are perfect for that. A set of four is available from Woolygon on Amazon for $24.97.

Buy the Round Felt Ball Coasters at Amazon for $24.97.

Rochelle Porter Designs embraces bold colors and motifs, like with this bold, blue pillow cover sold at Walmart for $43.

Buy the Rochelle Porter pillow cover at Walmart for $43. 

Childlike Touches

Another way to join in on the dopamine decor trend, Marler says, is buying items that remind you of your childhood or trigger happy memories.

The color-blocked, wood clock from CLOUDNOLA has an endearing, childish quality to it. It is available at Nordstrom.com for $50 and comes in two color schemes.

Buy the CLOUDNOLA clock at Nordstrom for $50.

Round Shapes and Curves

Connected to that child-centric approach are soft and round shapes in dopamine decor pieces.

“A lot of the shapes that have become very popular in interiors recently like arches, bubbles and donuts have a real nostalgic and kiddyish quality to them,” East said. “They remind me of giant foam shapes in soft play or colorful building blocks.”

MORE: The Best Wooden Picture Frame

The Conran Shop’s playful, scalloped picture frames in red, green and blue fit that bill. These frames sell for $35 to $40 at Nordstrom.com.

Buy the Conran Shop’s scalloped picture frames at Nordstrom for $35 to $40.

Vibrant Botanicals

Happy and colorful flower themes can stimulate positive feelings, even for those who are allergic to pollen.

This Urban Outfitters Bouquet Floor Lamp costs $249 and is made of iron with three flower lights in blue, orange and yellow.

Buy the Bouquet Floor Lamp at Urban Outfitters for $249.

The Aracelli rug from Anthropologie ranges from $98 to $1,598 depending on the size ordered. Its tufted wool and viscose fabric flowers jump out of the flat surface.

Buy the Aracelli rug from Anthropologie for $98 to $1,598.

Barbiecore Hues

While not a defining trait of “dopamine decor,” Barbiecore pinks are often splashed throughout homes tagged with this trend. Marler, in particular, is a big fan of this array of colors.

“I find that pink and different glows of pink stimulate a certain emotion within me that calms me, hence why I stick with pink,” she said.

An easy-to-add and easy-to-swap-out decor touch in this category is a pillow case cover. The vibrant velvet covers from Modish Decor cost $50 to $68, and the brand has a larger selection of covers too.

Buy the Modish Decor velvet covers from Nordstrom for $50 to $68.

Sun-Centric Vibes

Warming shades of yellow, orange and gold cheer up a home too. The Silvia curtains from Anthropologie are chartreuse with colorful birds flying about. The linen and cotton window dressings come in three sizes and range from $138 to $188.

Buy the Silvia curtains from Anthropologie for $138 to $188.

Lahome’s Rainbow Sun patterned rug couldn’t be sunnier. It comes in nine sizes and costs between $24.99 to $77.99 with a rising/setting sun and its rays spreading across the faux wool floor covering.

Buy the Lahome’s Rainbow Sun patterned rug at Amazon for $24.99 to $77.99.

Do you think dopamine decor could be your style? Or maybe you’ve already found some elements of it in your home now!