“As we evolve, our homes should too.”
— Suzanne Tucker
We have seen it come up on our feeds… grey walls. Beige bedding. White furniture and minimalist everything.
For years, this style had convinced us that the “perfect” room looked like it belonged in a furniture catalogue. But lately, we are swapping fifty shades of beige for brighter colours, funkier patterns and décor that actually is whimsical.
Welcome to the era of dopamine décor.
Less about following design rules and more about creating a space that feels unapologetically you. Think colourful bedding, quirky lamps, vintage finds, playful prints, and shelves filled with souvenirs instead of perfectly colour-coded books.
What is dopamine décor?
Despite the name, dopamine décor doesn’t literally increase your brain’s dopamine levels every time you look at a colourful pillow. It is a design trend centred around surrounding yourself with objects, colours and memories that bring you genuine happiness.
Your version can be drastically different when compared to someone else. Yours might include:
- Colourful walls
- A terrible painting
- Plants or fairy lights
- Lego builds
- Funky rugs
- A lamp shaped like a mushroom with fairy trinkets surrounding it…. Why not?
Anyways, as long as your personality can shine in your room, you are doing great.
Why we are embracing the expressive spaces
The simple answer? Student life is overwhelming.
Assignments pile up. Midterms appear out of nowhere. Your laptop has approximately 43 tabs open. Sometimes your room becomes your classroom, office, dining room, and relaxation space all at once.
When you spend so much time in one room, it makes sense to want that space to actually make you feel good. Doesn’t mean it has to look like a perfectly curated Pinterest board; a simple plastic plant can do just as much if it makes your day better.
Your environment impacts your mood
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to focus after cleaning your desk?
Or how natural sunlight instantly improves your mood?
Our surroundings influence how we feel. While colourful décor isn’t a magical solution for stress, creating an environment that feels welcoming, comfortable, and personal can make spending long hours studying a little more enjoyable.
Maybe it’s your favourite poster that reminds you of an amazing concert, or a shelf filled with souvenirs from home.
Maybe it’s a bright yellow blanket that makes gloomy winter mornings slightly less gloomy.
Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference.
You don’t need a huge budget
Shop second-hand! Remember, one person’s old furniture is another person’s statement piece (or something like that).
Look through Facebook Marketplace, local thrift stores, garage sales, etc. You can often find pieces for a fraction of retail prices, and better yet, with a quick coat of paint, it is brand new.
Try printing your artwork or colour your room with bright pillow cases.
Display what you already own—books, cameras, candles, photos, postcards—the possibilities are endless.
The perfect room starts with you
One of the biggest reasons dopamine décor has become so popular is because people are becoming less interested in creating “Instagram-perfect” homes and more interested in creating spaces that actually reflect their personalities.
And that makes perfect sense. After all the countless hours of studying, working, and maintaining your room, why not fill that space with little moments of joy?
Sometimes the best rooms are the ones that tell a story.
Feature image courtesy of Steph Wilson on Unsplash
Student spotlight: Check out what the Pride Scholarship means to Mackenzie Kundakcioglu.
