If you’re looking for a daily dopamine boost, this style of interior design might just be what you’ve been looking for.
“Dopamine dressing” has taken the fashion, and interior world by storm this year, a way of decorating that promotes the feel-good chemicals. This design trend doesn’t necessarily involve trending colour palettes, but it does feature pattern clashing, bold colours and choices that make you feel good when you’re in the space.
Feeling inspired? Here are 15 ways to nail the dopamine dressing decor trend in your bedroom.
15 Dopamine Dressing Décor Ideas For The Bedroom
1.Pick One Key Colour
If you’re not sure where to start when creating a colourful bedroom, a guiding principle is to begin by picking out one key colour that you love.
Remember, it’s important not to lean into trending colours and instead use a colour you really love, a shade that makes you feel good. Take inspiration from the bedroom below which uses pink as its main returning base. Featuring that colour in a few different areas such as on wall art, a bed frame and bedding will make the colour feel intentional in the space.
It’s a confident way to start dopamine dressing in a bedroom, and it avoids it looking like just a clash of colours.
2. A Crafty Headboard
Hayley is the queen of colour when it comes to decorating, and her handmade headboard is something we can get on board with. If you like Moroccan-inspired interiors, make like Hayley and craft a headboard out of terracotta zellige tiles.
They provide the perfect burst of warm colour and are complemented beautifully by the soft blues and greens which balance the intensity of the look.
3. A Pattern & Colour Clash
Now, that’s how you do dopamine dressing! This is another bold example of how to lead with colour in your bedroom. Pick one bold shade for the walls, and use your furniture and textiles to introduce other complementary colours and patterns.
It’s a misconception that you shouldn’t mix patterns, and actually, it’s a bit like mixing metals in an interior. Two or three different types of patterns are a beautiful way of instilling visual interest – just don’t use any more!
4. Ground Your Room With A Natural Scheme
Green is always a good idea, and it’s a colour that’s naturally the easiest on the eyes, and it makes us instantly feel good too! In fact, it’s a perfect soothing shade for a bedroom, no matter the intensity or hue.
It’s actually a colour that virtually goes well with most other colours, and we adore those rusty red, blue and yellow additions to the bedroom below for a beautiful boost of colour.
5. Delightful Patterns
Dopamine dressing does not have to mean a maximalist style where every colour must be employed. Pairing delightful patterns on a number of subjects is a tasteful and stylish way to get on board with this trend.
The juxtaposition of the wallpaper, headboard and wall light is actually the perfect marriage of colour and pattern. It might feel a bit daunting when you get started, but pairing samples on a board or even on a collage (such as on Canva) will give you the confidence to see how it works together before employing it in the space.
6. Tasteful Stripes
It’s one of the most popular patterns for a reason, and it just feels so good in an interior, with a pop of colour.
Whether you introduce it with wallpaper, bedding or cushions, a stripe a day keeps those blues at bay. They create visual interest as you walk into the room, and depending on where you use them, they give an illusion of a bigger space.
7. Enveloping Headboard Pattern
This patterned half wall in the bedroom below is the perfect extension of a headboard that completely envelopes the bed.
Colour can be cosy! Note that the rest of the room is in a subtle off-white, but that fun addition around the bed paired with colourful bedding and wall art pulls the dopamine-style bedroom together without a hitch.
8. Pair Bold & Softer Hues
Dopamine dressing is about using colours that make you feel good, so you don’t have to use bold magenta and red tones throughout if that’s not your kind of thing.
This bedroom pairs both bold accents and softer hues as the backdrop for a feel-good interior that’s easy on the eye. If you’re looking for a great pairing of colours on a bed, you virtually cannot go wrong with lilac and soft yellow tones for a feminine feel.
9. Go Out of Your Comfort Zone
Bold enough? If you find yourself instantly reaching for bright white when it comes to decorating, it might be time to step out of your comfort zone.
It’s hard not to have a smile on your face being greeted by a bold shade on the walls, and this bedroom below is a perfect example of how you can interpret this design trend.
10. Zone With Colour
Zoning certain areas of a bedroom, be it your headboard or a space for a home office is a fun way to use colour in your bedroom.
Bed frames are traditionally a focal feature of a room, and this tri-colour headboard is an affordable way to make an impact in your bedroom. Introduce plenty of air-purifying plants for a natural pop of colour.
11. Layer Sumptuous Fabrics
Layering texture is another add-on to dressing your bedroom for feel-good memories. Sumptuous materials such as velvet, suede and fleece provide a soft and cosy sanctuary to relax on.
This can include everything from your headboard to your bedding, pillows, and curtains.
12. Curate A Gallery Wall
Radiate positivity in your bedroom with a carefully curated gallery wall packed full of personal finds and special pieces.
A gallery wall is renowned for colour, fun and personality, unique to you. Planning a gallery wall can seem a bit daunting, but the best way is to lay it out on the floor first. It will allow you to plan, play around, edit and curate as necessary before taking it to the wall.
13. Stick To A Few Colours
Whilst dopamine dressing encourages lots of playful colours, it can be just as effective using a few key colours, or even one specific colour in a variation of hues for a layered feel.
Green, cobalt blue and mustard yellow are such a fun pairing of colours that you can’t help to feel relaxed and comfortable in their presence.
14. Geometric Wallpaper
If painting your space with colour feels too much like hard work, it might be worth reaching for wallpaper instead.
This wallpaper below is a maximalist, colour-loving dream. Whether you go all in across your walls or create an accent wall with it, draw the colours from it and use those within your decorative accessories and textiles. It will make the room feel so much more intentional.
15. Coastal Inspired Dressing
Finally, if the maximalist side of dopamine dressing just feels a little too out of your comfort zone, here’s a relaxed and stylish example of leaning into coastal-inspired interiors.
Typically known for its neutral base and blue colour palette, why not pull the blue from it and pair it with a bold yellow and red for a fun scheme?
Mixing pattern, colour and texture pays off with dopamine dressing. Colour really does make us feel good, and when it comes to designing an interior, remember to lean into what makes you feel good – and not just what’s trending! It will help you deliver an intentional bedroom space that stands the test of time.
