If your parents ever busted into your dark, angst-ridden teenage bedroom like the Kool-Aid man, flung open the blinds, and drenched the walls in sunlight to help you survive the everyday woes of puberty, you may know that your surroundings can affect your mood. And your mom was definitely onto something when she refused to let you paint your walls black to reflect your soul. One 2014 study on the impact of color on the moods of college students found that colors can affect people’s moods, and even make them feel things like “warm, cool, calm, invited, relaxed, or uninvited.” While colors don’t have universal meaning and connotations can vary across cultures, other studies have borne out evidence that color can, indeed, affect how you feel. This is all to say that, at the very least, a little dopamine decor never hurt nobody.
This exuberant trend dominated both the interior design AND the fashion world for the past few years and continues to do so — many were desperate to elevate their moods after lockdown, whether it was via hot-pink cheetah-print outfits or pastel squiggle mirrors. In the home space, it’s characterized by over-saturated loveseats, eye-catching prints, oblong furniture silhouettes, unique textures, and color, color, and more color. Devout minimalists call it overwhelming, maximalists say it’s a happy person’s must-have. We deem it a fun trend one can easily attain with the help of the internet. More specifically, with this hit list of 24 pops of color — from deafening accent chairs to tulip side tables, boho throw pillows to pastel mirrors, and more dopamine decor of all sorts. Put an item or two in your cart — and a little pep in your step — before spring has even sprung with these eccentric pieces below.
Jennifer Hudson commands stages, furniture commands rooms. To start your dopamine decor journey off right, set the scene with a bold sofa or a single kooky accent chair — bonus points if your pick comes covered in fuzzy velvet or a daring print.
Shop Urban Outfitters
Shop Mackenzie-Childs
Shop Albany Park
Shop Anthropologie
A table speaks a thousand words. Walk into a friend’s apartment and spot a tulip holding up their coffee or a magazine sitting atop a jelly-legged surface and you know they like the weirder things in life. For a quick and easy home decor pick-me-up, make a beeline for the bright and bubbly living room tables.
Shop Etsy
Shop Etsy
Shop Etsy
Shop Amazon
Social media transformed the simple glass reflections we call mirrors into elevated art pieces for the home — one aesthetic mirror pic at a time. Now, you can find these mood- and ego-boosting treasures wrapped in funky textiles or melded into unconventional shapes. Perfect for both your vanity and sanity.
Shop Etsy
Shop Amazon
Shop Coming Soon
Shop Areaware
When it comes to dopamine decor, more is more. Pile on the blankets and pillows, and even deck out your mattress with some printed bed sheets to fill your entire space to the brim with mood-boosting hues (that feel as good as they look).
Shop Etsy
Shop Amazon
Shop Nordstrom
Shop Anthropologie
Soon the sun will shine, and quite frankly, a little too much. Fortunately, vibrant, colorful curtains exist to protect us from any vitamin D overload. Choose from unique beaded panels, golden lightweight fabrics, checkerboard prints, and more.
Shop Target
Shop Urban Outfitters
Shop Made Trade
Shop Society6
Wall art warms up a room like no other — even if it’s technically a handmade bath mat from the cult-favorite Brooklyn textile company Cold Picnic. If it can hang, it can stay. You can also look to Nordstrom, Drool, and West Elm for fast-shipping pieces made to jazz up empty walls.
Shop West Elm
Shop Cold Picnic
Shop Nordstrom
Shop Drool
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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