Is dopamine decor just another name for maximalism? Possibly, but it feels more curated. Have you heard of dopamine decor? I had not until recently and I’m curious how it could work in a home.
How to get started
Architectural Digest gives some great ways to get started implementing dopamine decor.
- keep a consistent color palette (various shades of the same colors)
- grab some personal history
- think recycling or repurposing items in your home
- enhance visual interest
Start with a small space in your home. This could be an office, laundry room, or extra bathroom to begin playing around. Next, look at the space and highlight where you could add some elements to enhance dopamine decor.
Let’s give it a try
Take my master bathroom as an example. We have an outdoor theme for our room, kinda. Mostly gray and blue (which runs throughout the house). I’ve been wanting to change from this drab green into something more bold. We do enjoy this space and it’s used multiple times per day. Adding some personalization and bold colors could do this room some good.
I’m drawn to these color palettes
Goldenrod and a light teal are in both palettes. Let’s start there with some color ideas. I found this peel-and-stick wallpaper that could be used on one wall.
This is bold and stays within the color palette. I like the leaves and wildflower feel of this print. Let’s use the base of the tree, it’s a jade/tealish color. Valspar offers a Color Visualizer on their site. You can upload your own photo to get a look at your own room. So I did. Ultimately, Tropical Oasis most closely matches the color I envisioned instead of Elegant Silk.
Here’s the photo from the Color Visualizer. What do you think? This is a rough idea to get started.
Acessories
Wallpaper and paint go a long way, but now we need some texture in this space to add to the dopamine decor look. Thankfully, I still have the veil from our wedding. I could repurpose that into a sheer curtain for the one window.
We could use some artwork above the tub to the left in the photo. Definitely something with goldenrod or orange would pull from the wallpaper colors nicely. Additionally, maybe even a vase with fake flowers to add some texture. We have talked about flameless candles to put around the tub for additional soft light also.
Give it a try
I’m on team dopamine decor. Updating my bathroom to fit this trend could eventually be a quarter two project this year. You can follow this outline from Real Simple to do your own space.
What would you add to give this trend a try?
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