Did you know that your overall mood and mindset can be affected by the state of the rooms and spaces where you spend most of your time?

It's true! The effect that our visual surroundings can have on our mood is incredible!

Our home spaces can make us feel either more positive or more negative, more calm or more stressed, and can even influence things like how much we're able to focus during the day, how confident we feel, and so much more.

However, what you might not realize is that the emotions we feel within our home environment can be caused by many other factors besides whether or not our space feels organized or cluttered.

 

One of these important factors is color.

 

In many ways, my dream living room - filled with lots of vibrant colors and walls of bold artwork.

 

It may sound silly, but the colors that we choose to surround ourselves with can play a role in the way that we feel while we're at home or in a specific space.

Colors can even help to improve our mood when they're used intentionally to help decorate spaces where you'll be spending a lot of time.

The best part? You don't need to make huge changes to start seeing a boost in the way you feel within your own home. Even small pops of color can change the feeling of a space in a big way.

 

 

My own experience with colorful decor:

As someone who's moved 7 times during the last 15 years and has also lived in 4 different cities along the way...I've had a lot of experience decorating a wide variety of home environments, including dorm rooms, apartments, townhouses, and single-family houses.

While the architecture and size of your home environment can certainly also affect your mood and the usability of your space, what I've found to be most consistent throughout ALL of my many moves is that the colors that you choose to surround yourself with can be used to help you create a more joyful mood within your home.

 

Once I discovered how much my environment impacted the way that I felt about my home space, I decided to make it an immediate priority during every move to strategically add bold colors to our home right away.

 

 

Now, one of the first things that I tackle whenever we move into another home is adding some color and personality to the space.

I typically start by hanging up some artwork in the room where I'll be spending most of my time unpacking.

It may seem counterintuitive...but instead of focusing on unpacking all of our clothing, dishes, or "high priority items" first, I intentionally hang some colorful art on the wall, or add a vibrantly colored object, like a stack of books, to a shelf or a table right away.

Unpacking after a big move to a new home environment can feel tedious and overwhelming, making it difficult to stay motivated.

To counteract this, I've found that having small doses of joyful color(s) in each room where I'm working/unpacking helps me stay more motivated while I'm opening up all of those cardboard boxes and figuring out where all of our stuff should go.

 

Anxious about styling lots of different-colored decor together? Try adding several pieces in the same bold color to your space instead.

Art print shown: Sweet Home Alabama 8x10 Art Print (available in blue or red)

 

 

I also make it a priority to add at least 3 pops of color to our new kitchen space right away:

 

• A brand new colorful sponge/dish cloth is now a must for me whenever we move to a new place - There are few things that I hate more than washing dishes and I've found that having a vibrantly colored sponge helps me to feel a little bit more energized while cleaning dirty dishes.

A fun little pop of color can make even the most dreaded task feel more manageable, don't you think?

 

• We always place our brightly colored green teakettle on the top of our stove to add a cheerful pop of color to our counter - It's also a good visual reminder for me to make myself a cup of tea more often, which helps boost my mood if I'm stressed or feeling down.

Colorful objects can catch your eye and can serve as a reminder or reinforcement for positive routines.

 

• I also add at least 1 alive, green plant to our kitchen - I've found that even a small live plant brings a touch of nature into the space, which makes me want to spend more time in that room, whether I'm baking a cake or simply cleaning all of those yucky dishes.

Some colors (like green) have a powerful association with nature. Living green plants can also help you feel more relaxed, refreshed, and recharged in any space - just like you feel when you're spending time out in nature. Plus, living plants help clean the air in your home - a win-win!

 

 Accents of turquoise and green make our all-white kitchen feel more playful and energetic! Tea towel shown: Bountiful Bubbles Kitchen Tea Towel

 

 

Discovering the power of color awareness:

Over the years, color awareness has slowly become an important part of my lifestyle and my daily routine.

My professional training was in the field of fashion design and apparel merchandising and I also studied marketing in business school, which strengthened my knowledge of how color can affect us as it relates to buyer behavior, advertising, and marketing.

But it wasn't until after I finished my studies and began working that I began to realize that color can actually have a huge impact on your life.

After finishing my degrees, I worked in the product development space at various fashion and textile companies. One of my main jobs at the company was to examine and approve/reject color swatches and samples of clothing when they arrived from the factories.

 

Over the years, it became clear to me that our ideal customers had very strong color preferences and that they repeatedly chose clothing in the same colors and shades over and over again - regardless of the silhouettes or designs that we were selling.

 

I realized that our customer was especially drawn to saturated royal blues, teals, fuchsia, and colorful patterns that included these colors. Of course, our customers did buy neutral colors as well (ivory/white/navy/black)...but over and over again I watched her reveal her color preferences through her credit card. She loved wearing bold, saturated colors.

My personal opinion is that our customer repeatedly chose to purchase and wear these colors because these shades reminded her of the emotions that she wanted to feel whenever she was wearing our clothing.

The lifestyle brand that I worked for evoked a carefree, sophisticated vibe that was heavy on the emotions and experiences of traveling, spending the day at beaches, perusing antique shops and flea markets for fabulous finds, attending garden cocktail parties, lounging poolside, shopping at local artisan markets, and effortlessly relaxing on backyard patios with a cocktail in hand.

The bright colored clothing that our customer purchased over and over again reflected the vibe that she wanted our clothes to help her feel while she was wearing them: relaxed, sophisticated, confident and playful.

 

Before you keep reading, you should ask yourself the following question:

 

What type of vibe or feelings do I want to experience when I'm at home or in a particular space?

 

• Do you want to feel more relaxed when you're in your living room?

• Would you like your workspace to have a more creative vibe?

• Maybe you'd like to feel more energetic when you wake up?

 

It's also important to acknowledge that the feelings/mood of particular colors can also vary a bit from person to person. Each person is unique and their specific life experiences and circumstances can, of course, influence the way that someone feels or reacts to seeing a specific color or shade.

However, researchers have found that there are many common responses when they've studied the general population in response to various color stimuli.

 

For example, did you know that fast food chain restaurants often paint their restrooms using warmer shades like oranges or reds?

 

The reason for this is that over time, researchers discovered that being in a bathroom with orange or red walls discouraged people from lingering/spending longer amounts of time there (compared to being in a bathroom with cooler toned blue or green walls, which often made people feel more relaxed/less rushed).

In an effort to keep people moving through the bathrooms more efficiently (especially near the sinks), many fast food chain restaurants started painting the walls of their bathrooms orange or red or installing colorful counters in warmer tones of orange or red.

Similarly, fast food chains also frequently use red accents in spaces where they want customers to make a quicker decision/choice (like at the checkout counter) since studies have shown that being exposed to the color red evokes a higher sense of urgency, helping their customers make faster choices about what type of burger they want to eat.

Pretty interesting, right?!

 

Which colors should I choose to use when decorating?

Now that you've decided to add more bold color to your space, you may be wondering...how do I choose which colors to use?

There's no right or wrong answer - in fact, you may want to add several colors to your home in different areas or even in combination with other shades.

Reading up on common color associations can help you narrow down the colors you want to work with.

According to the theory of color psychology, people commonly report feeling these emotions when they're exposed/surrounded by specific colors*:

• Royal Blue often evokes a sense of calmness, sophistication and relaxation

• Teal often evokes feelings of rejuvenation, uniqueness and memories of relaxing beach trips or vacations

• Fuchsia often evokes feelings of confidence, playfulness and positive energy

• Mustard Yellow evokes feelings of optimism, motivation and creativity

• Coral evokes feelings of joy, freshness and femininity

• Lavender evokes feelings of gentleness, tranquility and romance

• Cognac evokes feelings of trustworthiness, wealth and comfort

Those are just a few color association examples - remember, the sky's the limit when it comes to the colors you can choose!

* To learn more about the theory of color psychology and the feelings that various colors can evoke within you when viewed, I recommend visiting a website like ColorsExplained.com, ColorPsychology.org or something similar. Picking up a few books about color psychology from your local library or book store is also a great way to learn more. It's definitely a fascinating topic!

 

 

Okay, okay...enough about color theory. So, what exactly is "Dopamine Decor"?

Dopamine Decor is an interior design movement that encourages the use of bold, vibrant colors within a space in an effort to more easily inspire positive emotions, add playful energy, and intentionally reinforce the positive color associations that your mind already has stored deep within your brain.

 

The intent of Dopamine Decor is to surround yourself with colors that are believed to inspire increased levels of positive feelings, such as playfulness, positivity, and joy!

 

This simple padded yellow headboard adds a fun burst of energy and excitement to this bedroom. It's a perfect way to visually boost your energy each the morning!

 

When diving into the Dopamine Decor aesthetic there are 2 main options:

• You can choose to add lots of BIG pops of color to your space for maximum impact (scroll up to the first photo in this blog post for an example).

• You can choose to add smaller (but still bold) pops of color to a space, keeping things balanced with lots of white/neutral colored spaces/decor.

Layering lots of big items with bold color can be a really fun way to go...but for most people it's much easier to apply Dopamine Decor aesthetics with the 2nd less-intimidating method, which uses smaller, more plentiful pops of color.

 

 Playful patterned pillows really pop against a neutral couch or chair! These fun small linen/cotton pillows are from our own line.

Pictured: Lazy Daisy Small Throw Pillow & Bountiful Bubbles Small Throw Pillow

 

If you're feeling nervous about trying out the Dopamine Decor trend for yourself, I recommend starting gradually by adding smaller pops of color within just 1 room of your home.

You could start by topping a neutral couch with several brightly colored throw pillows in different shades, hanging some vibrantly patterned curtains to your room, or adding a fun grouping of colorful mementos, wall art, or knickknacks to your space in order to add some extra interest and pops of color.

Please remember: the end goal of applying Dopamine Decor is that you strategically add vibrant and playful colors to your space in order to inspire feelings of joy and happiness whenever you're spending time in that room...NOT to stress yourself out!

Come on, let's make this fun!

 

 

Adding bold colors to your room can transform the entire feeling of your home (as long as you allow yourself to let go and experiment with color!)

Once you learn how to use it, color can be an important tool that can help your home feel the way you've always imagined or wanted!

 

My Biggest Tip: Have No Fear!

 

Remember...your home's decor can always be changed and updated if you don't love it.

I've found that many people (myself included!) start off their decorating journey feeling a bit anxious about the idea of committing to decorating with such bold colors. They're afraid/anxious that somehow they'll be making some sort of "huge irreversible mistake".

If you're feeling nervous, please remember that you can always simply swap out your decor if you don't like it - there is no harm in trying something new!

In fact, like just about everything worth doing in life, you'll never know what your home could look or feel like until you take a chance and try it out!

 

This entertaining space has the perfect balance of calming blues, golden yellows and neutral shades. The addition of the live plant and the large-scale framed gallery wall also contributes to the playful energy of this Dopamine Decor space.

 

Give yourself permission to make a change, no matter how large or small

 

There's no need to be afraid of experimenting with bright colors in different ways throughout your home! In fact, adding a few pops of calming colors might even make your space feel less stressful.

Love to entertain?

After decorating with Dopamine Decor principles you may even discover that your friends and family enjoy hanging out in your home and feel more comfortable and happy while they're in your space.

 

 

 

6 Easy Ways to Decorate With Vibrant Color For A More Joyful Home:

 

1. Add vibrant colors to your walls - or create an accent wall using colorful wallpaper in a fun print design

Painting a wall within a room (or several) is one of the easiest ways to put your own creative stamp on your home!

Wallpapering is more time consuming than painting...but the final effect is well worth it!

 

Once upon a time I created wallpaper designs! Here's a glimpse at my Lush Leaves wallpaper design, which would make a wonderful wall covering for a room being decorated using a Dopamine Decor aesthetic.

Step 1: If you're going with solid color, head to the paint store or hardware store and grab some paint swatches that you love! If you're going with wallpaper, browse fun designs online or (even better) head to a local shop that carries wallpaper samples so that you can browse in-person.

 

Remember...don't overthink it! This process should be fun, not stressful.

 

Take your time when you look through all of the paint chips/wallpaper samples that are available at the store.

Pay attention to the way the colors and/or patterns make you feel when you look at them and ask yourself a few questions to understand why certain shades make you feel a specific way:

• Do you feel a sense of calm when you look at certain types of colors?

• Do any particular colors or shades make you feel energized?

• Does a specific color reminds you of a favorite place where you've traveled or lived?

• Does a color remind you of someone you love or something from your past that makes you feel cozy?

 

Example: Retro bathrooms with pink glazed tiles all over the walls/floors are definitely "outdated" from a design point-of-view...but they always remind me of the bathroom in my grandmother's home.

Because of that, I associate that particular shade of pink with memories of her, so, even though I personally don't love most shades of red or pink, that particular Pepto-Bismol shade of pink has a very positive association in my mind.

Seeing bubblegum pink makes me feel warm and cozy whenever I see it (just like a big hug from my grandma).

 

 This vibrant cobalt blue bathroom design is a bold choice, yet the color looks beautiful and balanced thanks to the white counters, floors, sinks, tub & curtains!

 

Step 2: Still feeling nervous about making the leap and painting your walls with vibrant colors?

Try out this trick so you can see what a colorful wall will look like before you commit! 

First, use a camera or your smartphone to take a photo of the wall that you're thinking about painting, making sure that the photo includes any furniture and decor that will be remaining in front of the wall.

Print out the photo in full color onto a piece of paper. I recommend printing it out in a smaller size (such as 3x5 inch or a 4x6 inch) to make the next step easier.

Grab several paint swatches or wallpaper sample swatches in each of the shades/patterns that you love the most (grab 4-6 color swatches of each of the colors you're considering, or enough that you'll be able to fill up the entire background of the photo).

Next, using a scissors, cut out ALL areas of the photo that include the wall - leaving only the decor, floor, and any furniture behind in the photo.

Lay all of the cut out pieces that remain from the photo (the decor, floor & furniture) on top of the sticky part of a clear, self-sealing laminating sheet (there are many different brands of self-seal laminating sheets available to buy online or in office supply stores).

Helpful Shopping Tip: the brand of self-seal laminating sheets that I like to use is Scotch, which can be purchased at Target, Walmart, or similar stores...but anything similar will also work for this exercise!

Once you're finished, you should have a laminated sheet that has transparent/clear  areas in all of the places where the wall used to be on the original photo!

(Pretty cool, huh?)

Finally, simply lay the color chips that you gathered from the hardware store/paint supply shop behind your laminated sheet to see what your room could look like with a different wall color!

This is an easy, stress-free way to visually test out the bold colors that you think may look best on the wall without needing to paint at all!

This is especially helpful because you'll want to make sure the wall color looks good when paired with the other decor/furniture that you have in that room.

The best part? You can now easily bring this clear laminated sheet with you to the hardware store or paint store in order to check out additional color chips in person!

 

Optional Method for More Tech-Savvy Readers:

* Skilled with computers? This fun decor experiment can also be completed digitally using Canva, Photoshop, or most free online photo editing tools.

 

 

 

2. Display a whimsical collection of similar objects together in a wide variety of colors/sizes/shapes.

Grouping several similar items together in a variety of colors, shapes, finishes is a great way to add interest and a touch of whimsy to your home decor. Here's an example from my own home showing 3 colorful vases grouped together (plus a quirky wooden camel from our recent trip to Tunisia).

 

Personally, I LOVE using this design trick in our home!

Whenever I have objects that are similar I group them together for maximum design impact.

Currently, my favorite grouping is a collection of 3 ceramic vases (shown above) that I've collected from our travels. The vases are different colors, patterns, sizes, shapes, and even have very different ceramic finishes...but when they're grouped together they add a fun pop of color and a lot of visual interest.

 

Another example of a grouping of how similar objects in lots of different colors can add extra fun and playfulness to a space (in this case, books). How fun!

 

Another Example: This design principle is also why the idea of gallery photo walls works so well from an aesthetic point of view.

Human brains crave repetition...but they also love novelty. Gallery walls provide both of these things!

Creating a gallery wall of artwork lets you the freedom mix picture frames of many sizes/shapes/colors together on a wall in a way that fulfills your brain's craving for novelty, while also providing your brain with clarity on what you're looking at (it creates a calming sense of repetition since all of the objects are picture frames).

 

 

3. Refresh the spaces within your home with small, seasonal pops of color that you can change up throughout the year.

 

Looking for something that you can change out with the seasons or every couple of months without too much effort?

Just choose 1 area of your home and commit to intentionally updating it every season or periodically throughout the year.

 

• Maybe it's a colorful picture frame that you fill with a fresh art print every season?

• Do you collect something? Many people have a collection that they'd love to display, but they know it is too large to have out all the time.

The entry wall near our front door features a red phoenix sculpture (for a dose of Feng Shui and a burst of red). I also display a rotating art print in the gold frame, which I change out seasonally. Pictured: our Stitched Tulips 8x10 Art Print

 

Example: Another great way to do this with minimal effort is by having a white flower vase located in the same spot all year. Then, during different seasons throughout the year, simply change out the colors/type of flowers that you arrange within the vase.

This way you get an ever-changing pop of color, but it's in the same area of your home so you don't have to think much about it every time you decorate for a new season!

 

 

4. Brighten up a room with some colorful prints - or even better, create a gallery wall of colorful wall art for maximum joy

Throughout our home, I've created several gallery walls of artwork that I truly love. I love having a mix of artwork in different styles and subjects placed together - it adds variety!

We have fairly neutral walls in most of our rooms, so I just let the artwork in our home add some much-needed color to my walls!

Shown in the gallery wall image below are art prints and lithographs created by some of my favorite artists. Surrounding myself with art from a variety of talented creatives always makes me smile!

 

 

5. Go bold by adding colorful (or patterned) tiles to your floors, bathroom walls, or kitchen backsplash

Experimenting with colorful tile can be so much fun! Plus, it can make a room feel like a dramatically different, more vibrant place.

 

 

Sure, adding tile or swapping out the tile that you currently have for something newer and more colorful is a full-on project...but it's a great way to put your stamp on your space.

Also, it's relatively easy to learn how to tile - you can even take free classes at most many hardware stores if you've never done it before!

As far as weekend projects go, I definitely think adding colorful tile to your home is well-worth it for the bold visual payoff and the potential mood boost!

 

 I'm really loving this simple, yet vibrant turquoise beveled subway tile in this all-white kitchen space. It also helps brighten up the room because the tile is reflective. The living plants and the bowl of bright red apples would also add some extra joy while cooking, don't you think?

 

6. Don't be afraid of experimenting with colorful furniture for an unexpected pop of color

- Buying Colorful Furniture That's Brand New:

You can purchase new furniture that's colorful once you find a piece that you love. There are many great brands that sell bold and colorful furniture pieces. Some of my favorites are listed below - and a few of these suggestions are even made right here in the USA!

 

Want to try adding a piece of colorful painted furniture but feeling nervous? Start small with a brightly-colored side table, like the fun yellow one shown above!

 

- Buying Colorful Used Furniture That's New-To-You:

Or, if spending a lot of money on a colorful piece of furniture makes you anxious, don't worry! Head to a secondhand shop or a thrift store to find great pieces of furniture that won't break the bank.

Plus, if you're nervous about adding colorful furniture to your home, picking up a cheaper piece of furniture at a secondhand store means you'll feel far less conflicted about painting it a bold color! Not only is this an easy DIY project, but you won't have to be conflicted about painting the antique dining room table that you inherited from your great aunt Marge.

 

 Short on cash but looking for a bold piece of colorful furniture? You can find great high-qulity pieces at vintage furniture stores, antique malls & thrift stores - you can always refinish them, paint them, or re-upholster them for a new look!

Hopefully this blog post gave you the extra knowledge, excitement and confidence boost that you needed before applying Dopamine Decor principles to your home!

When you feel great about how the space where you live looks there can be so many positive benefits to your health and well being.

• A bright, yet more relaxing wall color in your bedroom space could help you get more consistently restful sleep.

• A colorful backsplash in your kitchen could inspire you to spend more time cooking in the kitchen instead of just ordering take out.

• A fun framed gallery wall featuring photos and art prints of famous locations where you'd like to travel could provide the ongoing visual inspiration that you need to continue saving up for the trip of a lifetime!

Wishing you a more colorful future and a life filled with positivity!