What Is Dopamine Decor? An Interior Designer Breaks it Down

By now, we’ve lived through enough design cycles to notice a pattern: When the world spins off its axis, our interiors reach for joy. During the pandemic, we stripped things back. Muted palettes. Curved edges. Spaces that whispered, don’t panic; you’re safe here. But eventually, that quiet started to feel sterile. Somewhere between the fourth wave and the rise of “sad beige” everything, the vibe shifted. 

Suddenly, color came roaring back—first in our closets (hello, dopamine dressing), then in our homes. But this wasn’t just a maximalist resurgence or an excuse to hoard checkerboard rugs. It was something deeper. A rebellion against flatness. A way of designing for feeling, not just function.

Designers have dubbed the trend as “dopamine decor”—and if you’ve ever cried happy tears over a candy-colored tiled kitchen or a lamp that looks like a sculpture from your childhood dreams, chances are, you’ve already felt its pull. So below, find a designer’s full breakdown of the trend, plus five ways to bring the look home.

Meet The Expert

Kimberly Poppe is an interior designer and co-founder of Amitabha Studio, known for her refined eye and eclectic aesthetic that fuses vintage treasures with sculptural lighting. A Parsons School of Design alum with a background in fine arts, Poppe has spent the past decade honing her distinct visual language across projects in New York, Paris, and Amsterdam. She brings a thoughtful, historically informed approach to interiors—balancing emotional resonance with architectural intention.

Dopamine decor is basically about decorating with pieces that make you happy. It’s an interior design approach that uses color, texture, pattern and lighting to trigger positive emotional responses—literally influencing the brain’s production of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. It’s rooted in neuroscience but plays out like personal therapy through design: more joy, less beige.

According to Kimberly Poppe, “Dopamine decor intertwines the power of neuroscience with the beauty of interior design to create spaces that don't just look good—they make you feel good too.” That means tapping into emotional touchpoints—nostalgia, sensory pleasure, memory—not just design trends. “It draws inspiration from the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in our brain's reward system,” she writes. “By crafting spaces that resonate with these positive emotions, we can create environments that uplift and inspire, that genuinely make us feel good.”

And while maximalist design often gets lumped in here, this isn’t about going over the top—it’s about tuning in. “The essence of dopamine decor lies in its personalization and individuality for each homeowner,” she writes. “Color, texture and composition become powerful tools for designers to evoke feelings of warmth and happiness in a space.”That’s the difference between a space that’s styled and one that’s felt. Or as Poppe puts it, “Designing a space that’s beautiful and cohesive is actually very easy; it’s designing a space that’s beautiful, cohesive and personally resonant to the person living there that’s a more delicate task.”

The short answer? Because we’re all tired of feeling numb—and our homes, more than ever, are being asked to do emotional heavy lifting.

In the wake of a global pandemic, a shaky economy and an endless doomscroll of bad news, our environments stopped being backdrops. They became lifelines. And while minimalism promised control (think: “clean girl aesthetic” in home form), it didn’t exactly hug us back. That’s why, what started as dopamine dressing—bold, playful fashion choices aimed at lifting your mood—quickly crossed into interiors. But unlike its fashion cousin, this version has depth. It’s not just color therapy. It’s mood architecture.

When we understand the link between environment and emotion, we're not just decorating; we're curating happiness.

As Poppe explains, “Our brains [are] heavily influenced by their surroundings. Picture this: walking into a room bathed in your favorite color, maybe there's a cozy armchair just inviting you to sink in, or a cherished family photo that brings a smile to your face.” These aren’t just aesthetic choices. “They're little VIP tickets for dopamine (and friends) to take center stage.”

In other words, it’s not just about more stuff or brighter color. It’s about resonance. “When we understand the link between environment and emotion, we're not just decorating; we're curating happiness.” That shift—from styling for status to styling for serotonin—is why this trend is hitting now. It’s why maximalist moodboards are overtaking minimal mood lighting. And why homes that used to whisper now shout, “Are you OK?” before offering a velvet chaise to cry on.

TL;DR: Dopamine deor gives people permission to be messy, emotional, nostalgic, loud—even weird—because it doesn’t exist to impress anyone. It exists to support you. “Dopamine decor has gained such popularity [because of] its power to boost our happiness and make our homes feel even more like our sanctuaries.”

If there’s one rule I’ve learned from years of working in interiors, it’s this: Color only works when it’s intentional. In dopamine décor, that means leaning into rich, saturated hues that trigger emotional response—without tipping into chaos. Poppe advises, “Warm tones like oranges, yellows and pinks evoke feelings of comfort and cheerfulness,” and “with dopamine decor, there's no fear of going bold—fill your space with generous splashes of your favorite hues.” Think: mustard upholstery, blush lacquer, coral tile—used sparingly (or not)—as long as it feels personal over performative.

Not everything needs to be new to feel fresh. In fact, the most emotionally resonant rooms are often built around pieces with a past. “Reusing vintage pieces not only adds a unique charm to your space but also promotes eco-friendliness,” says Poppe. But this isn’t about chasing a trend—it’s about building a home that tells a story. That hand-painted sideboard you found at a flea market? The one that doesn’t match anything but somehow works? That’s dopamine décor. “Breathe new life into antique furniture or repurpose old trinkets to add a touch of nostalgia and joy to your decor.”

“Textures add depth and richness to an interior, a key aspect of Dopamine decor.” But in this context, texture isn’t just about contrast—it’s about connection. This trend is about a full-body experience, and your sense of touch plays a starring role. “Mix and match surfaces, like the smoothness of a marble countertop, the roughness of a coir rug, the soft embrace of velvet cushions or the cool touch of metallic accents,” Poppe explains. The bathroom above (designed by Greg Natale) does exactly that—layering polished plaster with veined marble and warm brass to create a tactile experience that’s elegant, grounded and emotionally charged.

You don’t need a jungle. Just a hit of green where it counts. According to Poppe, “Introducing greenery isn't just aesthetically pleasing; it's scientifically proven to boost happiness, a key aspect of dopamine decor.” (A 2024 study published in Landscape and Urban Planning backs this, also citing that people’s perceived happiness was highest when admiring vertical greenery.) Whether it's a towering fiddle leaf fig in the living room or a bunch of hydrangeas in a glass vase on the credenza, the goal is to create aliveness. According to her, “plants can significantly elevate your mood and the room's atmosphere.” Meaning, buy the flowers. Style the branches. Add that potted citrus tree, even if it only produces one lemon a year.

Good lighting can shift a room’s energy faster than a coat of paint. And as Poppe says, “The warmth of natural sunlight or the soft glow of a well-placed lamp can do wonders for our mood—uplifting a room or creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere.” Her tip? Layer your sources—ambient, task, accent and decorative—so the space can flex with your mood. A sculptural pendant over the dining table. A dimmable sconce near the bed. A pleated shade that throws soft light across the walls. “Mix and match these layers…ensuring it's as useful as it is delightful (and dopamine enhancing!).”

The goal of this trend isn’t to overwhelm—it’s to add dimension. Per Poppe, “Patterns, be they abstract, geometric or floral, are essential elements in dopamine decor and have a profound ability to enliven a space.” Geometrics create structure. Florals lend softness. Abstracts invite imagination. Layering them—like a hand-printed pillow against a block-printed wallpaper—lets you build visual texture without clutter. “Whether that's intricate blooms or bold geometrics (or both!), the goal is to craft an aesthetic that’s uniquely yours and joyfully resonant.”

Finally, this trend isn’t curated for resale value—it’s curated for you. That means skipping the safe choices in favor of the odd, nostalgic or totally unhinged piece that makes your space feel like you. Poppe sums it up best: “The ‘dopamine decor’ trend really comes down to choosing decorative accents and objects that truly make you happy.” It’s not about designing a showroom. It’s about honoring your quirks—like this shaggy sculptural chair that reads somewhere between gallery object and Muppet. If it sparks joy? It belongs.