How to boost your mood with dopamine décor

Step away from grey. Move on from magnolia. It’s time to try dopamine décor – a celebration of vibrancy and fun, often with contrasting shades and styles seen across the home. Its purpose? Dopamine décor is designed to uplift spirits, boost moods and stimulate the part of the brain that floods the body with happiness.  

If you’d like to step outside your neutral comfort zone, here are our suggested shortcuts to a dopamine décor.    

Colours

At the very heart of dopamine décor is colour. Colour is scientifically proven to alter our mood and boost wellbeing, and the good news is you can include as many colours in your dopamine scheme as you like!   

Dopamine décor also gives you permission to contrast colours, so don’t worry if you can’t choose between blue, green and orange when it comes to paint, wallpaper and fabric. You may wish to cherry pick a few from the below, according to the effect you’d like to achieve.  

Red: stimulating, strong, warm and engaging. Contrasts with green and blue. Complements orange and plum.

Blue: calming, serene, clear and relaxing. Contrasts with red and orange. Complements green and turquoise.

Yellow: uplifting, cheery, optimistic and bright. Contrasts with purple and blue. Complements green and gold.

Green: balancing, harmonious, grounding and fresh. Contrasts with red and orange. Complements navy blue and yellow. 

Purple: regal, sensual, spiritual and creative. Contrasts with yellow and green. Complements blue and cherry red.

Orange: joyful, energetic, social and vibrant. Contrasts with blue and green. Complements yellow and red umber.

Black: protecting, shielding, stabilising and strong. Contrasts with white. Can complement all colours. 

Patterns

Patterns are a great way of introducing colour and movement into the home, especially if you live in rented accommodation and can’t redecorate. Patterns can be woven into fabric or printed onto accessories, and they span a variety of design periods and styles. As well as simple spots, stripes and checks, choose from something more intricate, such as the below:  

Chinoiserie: fabrics, wallpaper and artwork that depict Chinese qualities and motifs. Expect delicate representations of trees, flowers, cherry blossoms, exotic locations and birds.

Ikat: multi-coloured patterns with tell-tale jagged edges, originating from Indonesia and woven by hand. Cheaper alternatives see a typical ikat pattern printed onto a fabric.

Liberty: heritage prints created by the founder of Liberty department store in London. Liberty prints are characterised by small ‘ditzy’ flowers in tight, repeating patterns.

William Morris: a naturalistic and classical approach to pattern in earthy, tonal colours. Highly-detailed motifs feature throughout, including birds, flowers, fruits and leaves.

Abstract: a collision of colour and pattern, often leftfield in its concept. Artists including Kandinsky, Mondrian, Pollock and Rothko have seen their work transpose onto wallpaper and posters. 

Accessories

Splashes of colour can come from the smallest elements in your home, allowing you to keep neutrally-painted walls. The very best dopamine décors can include:  

• The use of texture – fringing, pompoms, tassels and embroidery
• Neon wall signs and coloured paper lanterns
• Multi-coloured rugs, cushions and throws
• Framed retro or Pop Art prints
• Shelves where the books are organised according to the spine’s colour
• Non matching sofas and chairsVases and candles in candy colours
• Curtains and blinds in deck chair stripes 

We’re here to help you find your next property so you can get personalising – perhaps using a dopamine décor approach! Our team is waiting to discuss your home moving plans.