Colour Expert Shares Top Dopamine Decor Tips
To brighten homes throughout the UK, we have partnered with Colour & Design Psychology Expert Karen Haller, who has shared her go-to tips for adding personality and positivity to your home, including how to incorporate Dopamine Decor, whether you’re a drencher or a dabbler.
Use colours and designs that bring a smile to your face
Start by noticing what you’re craving emotionally. Are you looking for a space to be calm and comforting, or energising and uplifting? Let that guide your colour choices. What matters most is how those colours make you feel. In dopamine décor, it’s your personal response to the shapes or colours that creates that feel-good effect.
For some, that might be bold, dynamic geometric angles; for others, soft, organic, flowing shapes, whimsical motifs, or playful circles that bring lightness and joy. Pairing these shapes with colours that support the mood you want to create is where the magic happens. For example, a soft blush pink with curved shapes can feel soothing, while bright orange with circles can double the sense of playful fun. For some people, bold geometrics like Criss Crossed wallpaper feel stimulating and energising. For others, organic, flowing shapes like Ickle Squiggle create a sense of movement and uplift - the repetition in patterns can feel reassuring and rhythmic.
The key is to notice which colours and patterns positively stimulate your senses in ways that feel good to you, without being overwhelming, and then bring those into your space. It’s about understanding how colour affects you personally and choosing what gives you the emotional support you’re after. When colour and design elements are used intentionally in this way, they can evoke feelings linked to the brain’s reward and motivation system, such as anticipation, delight, energy, and joy. When we experience positive emotion, our body responds: our posture can open, our breathing can ease, and we may feel more energised and uplifted.
Use colour to lift the mood of a space
In dopamine decor, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s all about what makes you feel good. The most uplifting combinations are those that bring you joy and make you feel uplifted.
Think cheerful colours like pink with orange, turquoise with yellow, or bright greens and lilacs. These are playful, expressive, and full of personality. It’s less about certain colours being ‘negative’ or ‘positive’ and more about the impact they have on you.
A colour that might drain one person could energise another, so it’s really important to tune into your feelings. Notice how each colour makes you feel emotionally and physically; if it zaps your energy, it’s probably best to steer clear of it at home. For example, I avoid grey because, even though it might seem calming at first, it tends to leave me feeling quickly drained.
Dopamine decor is often associated with bright, bold colours, but at its heart, it’s about choosing colours that lift your mood and feel good to live with. Colours can be like having our own piece of the sun indoors, helping to lift our mood. So, if you love vivid, bold colours, surrounding yourself with them can make your space feel playful and uplifting.
Ways to dabble in dopamine decor
If you’ve just started on your dopamine décor decorating journey, it can be overwhelming knowing where to begin, with so much to do and so much to choose from. So, once you’ve found the colours that reflect who you are. I suggest starting small by bringing one manageable item, a piece of art, a lampshade, an accent wallpapered wall, or a cushion like the Criss Crossed Bolster. Live with it for a while and notice how it makes you feel. If it lifts your mood and supports how you want to feel, you know you’re on the right track.
Alternatively, if you’re ready to commit to a colour or pattern, choose a smaller space to decorate, where you can build your confidence, fine-tune your style, and use it as your testing space, like a downstairs loo, a utility or spare bedroom. You can play around with it, better understand your unique style, and be free to experiment at will, slowly building up to something bolder.
Dopamine decor doesn’t appear overnight; it builds over time. As you add more, your confidence will grow, and you’ll begin to see your space transform into something that feels authentically you.
Adding a little boost of ‘dopamine’
There are two areas of the home I often think are overlooked: the hallway and the downstairs loo.
Hallways set the tone for how you feel as soon as you walk through the door. It’s a great space to add a splash of uplifting colours like a joyful yellow or a fresh green. Designs like Not a Petal out of Place or Hello Flower designs to instantly lift your mood and welcome you home, especially after a long day. They also create a warm, inviting feeling when you have guests around.
Downstairs loos are often ignored and hidden away, serving as a space where many play it safe. But they’re actually the perfect place to experiment with fun new looks. These smaller rooms can beautifully host bolder colours and patterns, turning them into little bubbles of joy and self-expression. Whether it’s a lively pattern like Painterly Hibiscus Dream or Let’s Get Tropical wallpapers, colourful tiles, or a bright accent wall, these details can surprise you and bring a smile to your face every time you open the door.
Just have fun
What truly matters is whether your home fills you with happiness, and if when you step foot in a particular room, it instantly brings a smile to your face. The dopamine decor movement was created for those who embrace individuality and personality - encouraging you to break away from trends and enjoy vibrant colours, bold patterns, and a space that genuinely reflects who you are. If you’re inspired by dopamine decor but aren’t too sure where to start, try out Lust Home’s colourful quiz to discover what type of drencher you are.