Dopamine décor isn’t just a passing trend—creating rooms that inspire and instill happiness, such as one filled with creative color, will always be in style. Photos: Alissa Coddington
Discover how design can create a happier home.
“Does it spark joy?”
This question, of course, refers to organizing consultant Marie Kondo’s popular home makeover series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, where she introduced the Konmari Method. Kondo’s goal is to curate a space filled only with items that bring happiness. Five years later, the idea of sparking joy remains just as relevant—often manifesting in a vibrant home decorating trend: dopamine décor. To discuss this trend and how to embrace it in your home, we spoke with Sarah Olsen, owner and principal designer at Merriment.
What is dopamine décor, and why is it gaining popularity?
Sarah Olsen (SO): Dopamine décor as a design style has become more popular in recent years. Out are the days of blah interiors in white and gray. In are vibrant colors and patterns, especially in couture interior design. As a society, we have again embraced all that color and pattern can add to our lives. Not only as beauty in our surroundings, but also by way of psychologically adding internal pleasure and happiness from the effect it has on the brain.
Dopamine décor is the concept of designing and decorating your living or working spaces in a way that evokes feelings of happiness and positive energy flow for the dweller or user of the spaces. This effect is created by using bright, energy-forward colors and patterns that send out a good vibe. The key is to use a color palette [to please] the person using the spaces.
The word dopamine is used for this type of design because it relates to the dopamine also known as the “happy hormone” that is released in the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, motivation and contentment. Dopamine in the brain does many good things for lots of our body functions, such as mood, memory, learning, sleep and of course overall happiness. Thus, the word dopamine is used to describe this design style, which capitalizes on creating those feelings of happiness and positivity.
What are some beginner-friendly ways to introduce this design style?
SO: Introducing dopamine décor into your spaces is easy. It can be as simple as painting a wall in a color, such as yellow, orange or pink to add cheerfulness to the room. Starting with a room you don’t use for long periods of time, such as a mudroom, pantry or powder bathroom, is a safe way to start. Once a color is established, layering can add more design style. An art collage atop the paint color that has mood-boosting images and colors may be just enough to evoke the good feelings you are looking for.
How do we balance bold colors and patterns without overwhelming a room?
SO: And here is the challenge! How to balance a room with bold colors and patterns is not as easy as it appears to be. Staying with a cohesive palette of colors should be determined from the beginning, even if that group of colors is more than one or two. Selecting a grouping of colors that appeals to you is key. Everyone has their own “color eye” and knows when a color is personally satisfying to themselves. It is helpful to use paint samples you can bring around with you when gathering your design ideas, so you’re able to stay in the family of colors you are using when layering with various wallpapers, fabrics for pillows or drapery, accessories and floor coverings, such as rugs. Also, it is good to give the eye a break here and there by mixing in some neutrals.
Are there any guidelines for mixing and matching patterns?
SO: Paying attention to the scale and proportion of the patterns is important. Making sure the shapes and forms of what you are matching together are not in competition and watching to see if they have some similar traits between them, such as the same amount of curvy lines or the same patterns from a particular era or decade of the past. Don’t be afraid to combine lots of patterns or go a little wild with color. If what you combine with color and patterns is making you feel happy with butterflies in your stomach and has put a smile on your face, chances are you are doing dopamine décor in an amazing way.
Is dopamine décor here to stay, or is it a passing trend?
SO: The name of dopamine décor will undoubtedly be reflective of this period and may not be used to describe design with lots of color and pattern, as trends and buzzwords change. So while this concept may go by a different name in the future, the idea of using color and pattern mixing will undoubtedly stay. What would the world be without things to cause us to feel good, be happier and have more positivity in life?
Do you have advice for someone feeling intimidated by bold design choices?
SO: If you feel intimidated by bold design choices, you may want to consult with a professional interior designer. They are the ones who practice the art of blending color and pattern to achieve a truly wonderful effect. They also have the world of fabrics, wallpapers, art, rugs and so forth at their fingertips, which make for more choices for the overall scheme of the layered design. Plus, it’s fun to have a partner to do design with, thus creating happiness in the process!
Merriment
520 Commons Drive Floor 2; 651.219.4597
Facebook: Merriment
Instagram: @homeatmerriment
