Dopamine decor is all about choosing design for your home that encourages “the feels”. Created in the human brain, dopamine is our feel-good reward system. Triggers for a dopamine rush range from the nostalgic comfort of Jellycats to foods high in fat and sugar (think donuts). If your life needs more pleasurable dopamine, but you want to avoid eating your way to a dopamine high or binge buying plushies, your solution is Dopamine decor. Read on to discover more about the look and how the tactile feel of an object (including rugs) helps achieve the ultimate in dopamine decor.

Dopamine decor (DD) is related to Newtro – the Gen Z reaction to digital dominance. Instead of hoping for a dopamine rush while doomscrolling, they turn to the comfort of “boring” old school flip phones, typewriters, cassettes and other analog (but often new) objects. And it’s not just Gen Z who want this pleasure – it’s multi-generational. The owner of a luxury textile brand recently bought a ruined 17th century Italian villa. He hasn’t refurbished or furnished it yet because his focus is rediscovering the “feeling” of “something that was a memory” from his childhood. He knows that decorating desires “are formed when you’re younger”.

DD is more than visual appeal, it relies on all five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Objects you choose should be based on what makes you feel good, not on trends. For many people, home decor that triggers dopamine is linked to positive childhood experiences. Maybe your color preferences link back to watching a Studio Ghibli animation? Or does a green palette remind you of playing outside? Do your texture choices remind you of the softness of a security blanket or object? Or maybe you get the feels from the organic scent and soft pile of a wool-rich rug that takes you back to the pleasure of playing on the floor while you ate fruit snacks?

Rugs we recommend to help you achieve DD include our vintage hand knotted Persian Heriz. Its cozy red color is highlighted by four ivory corner motifs that create a feeling of safety and enclosure. Our celestial blue hand-knotted wool Shah Abbas runner has a luscious floral vine motif that is perfect for anyone who gets a dopamine rush from lying in a meadow and looking up at blue skies. The soothing pattern of our Trellis design hand knotted Moroccan wool rug is amplified by high and low pile that is sure to spark dopamine as you walk across it barefoot.

Interior designers are welcoming Dopamine decor. Isfira Jensen of Jensen & Co Interiors told Elle Decor magazine that DD reflects our “yearning for spaces that are more vibrant and emotionally uplifting” and that “embrace what simply feels good.” Neurobiologists know that our brain’s reward center creates dopamine when we experience love. Love is the answer for how we design our homes. Follow your instincts. Choose color and designs for your home that you love and you’ll be well on your way to delightful Dopamine decor.