Some make new year’s resolutions, others select words. Instead, I spent the first part of this year focusing on purging, organizing, and redecorating part of our home. My goal was to transform a cluttered office into a colorful upstairs sitting area without spending a lot of money. Without realizing it, I unintentionally embraced the dopamine décor trend on a budget.
Dopamine Décor Trend on a Budget
What is Dopamine Décor?
According to Hulala Home, dopamine décor is named after the “feel-good” neurotransmitter dopamine and is characterized by a design style that “aims to boost your mood by stimulating your senses with bold, colorful visuals.”
This new decorating trend is all about filling the space with things that make you feel good. It gives you permission to ignore interior design trends in favor of using colors and things you love as part of your décor.
The Science Behind Dopamine Décor
By creating a space that makes you feel good, your brain releases dopamine, a feel-good hormone that gives us a sense of pleasure and is beneficial for our mental health
Aesthetics of Joy says “As a decorating philosophy, dopamine decor emphasizes using bright colors, bold patterns, and inviting textures to create a space that brings you joy. The idea is that each item of decor provides a little hit of pleasure in the brain, and that layering many of these pleasurable items together creates an environment that boosts your overall mental health.”
“Dopamine décor is more than a trend,” Hualala Home states. “…it’s a lifestyle choice that prioritizes joy, creativity, and energy.”
If there’s a spot in your home you’ve been looking to redo, it’s easy to infuse some color and whimsy into your home without taking on a major renovation or painting (unless you want to!). Here’s how to embrace the dopamine décor trend on a budget in 6 easy steps.
Identify the Space
Great small spaces for dopamine décor include:
- Powder room
- Closet
- Coffee bar area
- Pantry
- Mud room
- Bookshelf or other open shelving
- Entryway
- Kids Play Space
- Reading or Craft Nook
- Is there a corner in your home that could use a color refresh? No area is off limits when you think outside the box!
What I did: My goal was to take a cluttered office and transform it into a colorful sitting area.
Ever since our kids were little, my husband and I have shared this office. I’ve had a tiny corner of the room while he occupied 2/3 of the space, in addition to having an entire downstairs bedroom as his work from home office.
I envisioned turning the area where my husband’s desk lived into a more flexible space by adding a sofa and a coffee table or a nightstand. Having a dedicated space next to my desk would allow me to conduct on-camera interviews as Brainly’s Parenting Expert during the day and relax with a book at night, as Goldie slept soundly on the floor beside me.
Assess Your Space
Before you get started, assess what you already have in the space. Make a list of things to keep and things to get rid of. Hang on to items until you’re sure they no longer bring you joy in your new space.
What I did: Here’s my list of what to keep, things to get rid of, and other items I wasn’t quite sure about.
Keep:
- My L shaped desk and chair in my office
- Dog bed
Purge:
- Organize the office supply closet and built-in bookcases
- Move husband’s desk, filing cabinets, and his wall art to basement office
Undecided:
- Rug
- Rocking chair
Make a Wish List
After determining what might stay and go, take measurements of your space. This helps narrow your search for items on your wish list.
What I did: I measured the space to determine what size sofa might fit on the wall opposite the built-in bookshelves. My wish list included:
- Small sofa or loveseat
- Side table or nightstand
- Ottoman
I loved the idea of an ottoman over a coffee table since it was more flexible. It could be used as a footrest, as a table with a tray on top, or tucked away if I wanted to reclaim floor space.
Choose Your Colors and Find Pieces That You Love
Since dopamine décor is all about using colors you love, think about what colors make you happiest and use them as part of your décor.
What I did: Bright jewel tones always make me happy. Since I was planning to keep my walls white, I looked for colorful pieces that would fit in the space. I was introduced to Hulala Home where the fuschia Jovina Velvet Loveseat ($459.99, regularly $1,119) immediately caught my eye.
I had never thought about velvet upholstery in my office but why not! Not only would the color provide a dopamine boost, but the velvet would be delightful to the touch. And the price? Priced on sale at $459.99, Jovina seemed like a steal. Google search results turned up models that were far more expensive and Ikea’s offerings paled in comparison. Neutral and muted colors of their loveseats seemed so boring after seeing Jovina in sumptuous velvet with gold legs.
More searching on the Hulala site led me to the Benjamin Tufted Storage Ottoman ($98.99, regularly $119.99) and Isabelle Wingback Velvet Armchair ($229.99, regularly $279.99). While it was tempting to get Jovina in fuschia, I felt like it was too far outside my comfort zone to get all 3 pieces in bright pink and didn’t love the idea of three different colors. I decided to order the loveseat, ottoman, and velvet armchair in navy for cohesion and to stand out against the white walls.
The Benjamin Ottoman could function as a table, footrest, and provides extra storage thanks to a lift off lid. The Isabelle Wingback Chair would be great for extra seating but wouldn’t block access to the built-in bookshelves behind.
Using my measurements, I knew that the Jovina Velvet Loveseat would fit on the wall with the Rodolfo 25” Tall 2 Drawer Nightstand ($179.99, regularly $229.99) in white. While Rodolfo comes in navy too, I didn’t want the room to be too matchy.
Since Hulala Home provides 48 hour delivery for in-stock items, my new furniture arrived quickly.
Visual directions, an allen wrench, and a package of screws made it easy to assemble each item and once put together, Jovina, Benjamin, Isabelle, and Roldolfo were everything I expected them to be and more!
I was delighted by the rich fabric and luxurious finishes in each piece of furniture. Jovina, Benjamin and Isabelle are sturdy, yet comfortable, and the velvet is oh-so-pleasing to the touch.
Rodolfo is a shining star next to navy Jovina with its shiny embossed pattern and understated, yet classy, matte gold handles and legs. While glossy, the finish is waterproof, scratch resistant, and stain repellant which means it should hold up well over time. I also love how the built-in charging station is cleverly integrated into the piece. USB and power plugs hide behind the top drawer to help eliminate visual clutter caused by cords.
Except for the Jovina Velvet Loveseat, all pieces were easy to assemble by myself. The Loveseat required two people— one to hold the back of the sofa and the other to slide each arm into place, one at a time.
In the name of full disclosure, I did have an issue assembling the Rodolfo Nightstand due to a manufacturing error. The boards weren’t cut properly so the pieces weren’t able to fit together correctly. Upon contacting Hualala Home, they sent a replacement immediately. Hulala Home’s return policy includes accepting returns within 30 days of delivery and providing damage compensation within 30 days of receipt.
When my pieces arrived, I still hadn’t decided whether to keep or replace the cream-colored rug that had been in that part of the office for ages. The rug was in good shape but I found an amazing rug on sale from Ikea that tied the space together while keeping with my dopamine décor trend on a budget theme.
Murphy and Goldie are big fans of the Ikea rug I found on sale!
I also picked up a white gate leg table from my local Buy Nothing group for some extra table space. It has a compact footprint yet provides extra table space as needed thanks to two 28 x 31” table leaves that can extend as needed. It also has 6 drawers, that are perfect for storing small office supplies.
To the left of the Isabelle Wingback Chair is a gateleg table I acquired from my local Buy Nothing group
Infuse Your Personality into the Space
To further embrace the dopamine décor trend on a budget, consider the details that will give your space a personality. Think about what you already own that can be used in new ways such as framed art, photos, posters, postcards, and more.
What I did: I used what I had to decorate the wall above my Jovina Loveseat and Rodolfo Nightstand.
- Race medals from my many charity runs benefiting Jude Children’s Research Hospital hang from what used to hang a baby blanket above my kids’ crib
- Collection of crochet Miffys on the shelf were a gift from a dear friend
- Metalwork, papier mache cow, and a painting remind me of work I’ve done with artisans in Haiti to promote fair trade
- Postcards from travels
- Photos I had printed from Persnickety Box, a photo subscription box
A papier mache cow head from Haiti, favorite postcards, and photos adorn my wall
The adjacent wall features a painting I purchased by artist A’Driane Nievis, postcards from trips to Turkey, and more Haitian metalwork.
The Rodolfo Nightstand holds a spider plant baby that grew from another plant elsewhere in the house. It’s also a great spot for my Happy Light since the bright light from a light therapy box can increase dopamine levels in the brain.
The best thing about my space and dopamine décor is that it can be a work in progress. I can add items and subtract things or swap them out for others but this work in progress will always reflect who I am and the things I love.
Links to products featured in this post (affiliate links):
- Jovina Velvet Loveseat from Hulala Home ($459.99, regularly $1,119)
- Benjamin Tufted Storage Ottoman from Hulala Home ($98.99, regularly $119.99)
- Isabelle Wingback Velvet Armchair from Hulala Home ($229.99, regularly $279.99)
- Rodolfo 25” Tall 2 Drawer Nightstand from Hulala Home ($179.99, regularly $229.99)
- Halved Rug from Ikea ($149.99)
- Lersta Floor/Reading Lamp from Ikea ($15.99)
- Norden Gateleg Table from Ikea (secured for free from my local Buy Nothing group, currently available for $349.99)
Even though Hulala Home provided me with the 4 pieces in exchange for this post, I would definitely consider future purchases from them given the quality of each item for the price, plus free shipping.
For more dopamine décor trend on a budget ideas, visit my Dopamine Décor Pinterest Board.
Pieces provided by Hulala Home and affiliate links are included in this post. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own and based on personal experience.
