Because Your Office Deserves a Glow-Up Too
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Not too long ago, Miss Sarah graced us with some of her favorite Dopamine Decor. I have to admit that as sometimes happens, she was way ahead of me, and I had never heard of this trend (though it sounds lovely right off the bat!). I investigated a little bit further and found amazing inspiration photos AND this lovely definition from Architectural Digest: “Brilliantly bold colors and patterns, eclectic prints, inviting textures, and a nostalgia-infused, unmissable vibe: This is “dopamine decor” in a nutshell.
Dopamine, according to the Cleveland Clinic is “type of neurotransmitter and hormone. It plays a role in many important body functions, including movement, memory and pleasurable reward and motivation.” Sounds like it might be a good thing to have around! And in the dregs of winter and with the whole world in a hot, tangled mess right now, this seems like a great way to add more joy to your life. So, I thought to myself: “Where do I spend a vast majority of my time?” And the answer is (aside from my car) – my office!
I’ve been wanting to do some sprucing in this space ever since I started ogling some of Sarah’s “work from home must-haves” back in the fall. I think I mentioned that not so long ago, I moved my office from my bedroom into another room in the house (to save my sleep routine!), so now that I’m (re)starting with this space, it seems like a great place to institute dopamine decor. Hopefully by applying dopamine to my office decor, I can boost my mood, productivity and creativity all while bumping up my neurotransmitters. Time to get dopamine decorating! Let’s dive into some tips and products that can bring some joy in the home office decor department.
Consider What Color Can Do:
“Color can be used to influence people’s moods and emotions and can inspire creativity and productivity.” – Nancy E. J. A. Baird, “Color Psychology: How Color Affects Mood and Behavior” (Source: Verywell Mind)
I am a big fan of colorful spaces, but most of my home is pretty plain and vanilla. In addition to dopamine decor, I’m also drawn to minimalist farmhouse aesthetics. So – I had to do a bit of research about different colors and their function in dopamine decorating. Bold, saturated colors are the overarching theme – think orange, emerald, magenta. Within these constraints, you can move forward with the colors representing the feelings you’d like to invoke. Greens and yellow/orange are reminiscent of nature-based mix of grass and sunshine. This can bring about feelings of serenity and warmth, like you are picnicking in your backyard on a warm spring day. Deep blue can invoke memories of being on a tropical cruise. Scarlet red has been shown to boost energy levels. It was great to have all this in mind as I set out to design my space. I created a new section on my Home Office Inspo Pinterest board dedicated to only Dopamine Decor ideas.
Wall Decor:
The most obvious place to start with color are the walls that I stare at when I’m searching for creative inspiration in the middle of a tough work day. However, I’m not quite ready to put the full commitment into repainting my office walls. So instead, I decided to look for some office wall decor that could boost my dopamine. These options offer color AND texture, two major pillars of the dopamine decor mantra. Several of the options also include imagery or quotes that invoke motivation and inspiration even outside of the beautiful colors.
Buy on Amazon for $18.99
Buy on Amazon for $17.99
Buy on Amazon for $8.98 – these kinds of “unflat” decor items can add that texture that goes along with color in the dopamine decor trend. I’m certainly not about to start putting up wallpaper (no one should have to work in a space that I’ve wallpapered – that’s just cruel), or performing crazy paint tricks that provide texture, so this is my answer to that.
Buy on Amazon for $16.91
Buy on Amazon for $19.99
Buy on Amazon for $9.95 – here’s another texture item! My daughter actually had a similar item on her bedroom walls for a while and I always loved them, so why not get some for myself?
Buy on Amazon for $37.55 – love the message, love the glow, love the colors!
Desktop/Shelf Decor:
I don’t have a TON of room on my desk for superfluous items, but I do have some shelving that could house a little fun. Some of these ideas may not serve a functional purpose (other than making me happy!), but they caught my eye. Full of whimsy, pops of color and a little unexpectedness (I certainly would be a little shocked to see disco ball cherries on my desk out of the corner of my eye while on a Zoom call!), these can add a breath of fresh air into my workspace.
Buy on Michael’s for $8.49
Buy on Uncommon Goods for $40 (BONUS: these little guys light up! I doubt they put off enough light to make a huge difference, but I love a little soft lighting to supplement my desk lamp.) I also have a few functional items in plain wood or white plastic – though I’m not always the best at finishing DIY projects, I wonder if perhaps some of them might benefit from a quick paint job versus total replacement.
Buy on Etsy for $10.87 – I especially love these because in addition to the pops of color, it helps you bring real, live greenery into your office – plants are magical, healing, oxygen-giving miracle workers. If I didn’t kill so many plants, I would have them all over my house. Maybe some kind of faux planter would work best – my office actually doesn’t receive a ton of natural sunlight, unfortunately.
Functional, but Fun:
There are plenty of items that are more than meets the eye (Transformers! IYKYK). I need a few of these items anyway, so might as well buy the ones that come with a built in blast of dopamine, right?
Buy on Amazon for $39.99 – It looks like it would produce that satisfying “clack” that Sarah spoke about in her office essentials post. Such necessary office-time ASMR, really.
Buy on Etsy for $15.97 and you can pretend it’s someone’s birthday every time you look down at your keyboard (because you just can’t seem to remember where that “command” key is despite pressing it MANY times a day – oh wait, is that just me?)
Buy on Etsy $20.95
Of course, I have always been drawn to and will continue to purchase the brightest office supplies – pens, notebooks, sticky notes and even thumbtacks. Here are some of my favorites in that realm:
-Buy these colorful pens from Target for $19.99
–Buy this Erin Condren planner in the most colorful pattern for $30
–Buy these bright splashy Post Its from Amazon for $4.99
–Buy this matching stapler, thumbtack and tape holder in a bright lavender from Amazon for $19.99
–Buy these pastel push pins from Michael’s for $2.99
–Buy these bright highlighters from Papier for $14
For me, I think I’ll be dipping my toes in this trend to see how I like it. If anything, this exercise has made it plain that I have an affinity for the family of pink hues! Currently, I have a plain white desk and a black office chair that are designed for ergonomics – the desk holds a standing desk accessory that can go up and down, depending on whether I want to sit, stand or use my walking pad. My chair is worn and not very pretty at this point, but it has lumbar support, which though unsexy, is something I need at my ripe old age of 40. I doubt I’ll ever replace these things for cutesy colorful items unless I can somehow find options that are as functional as they are beautiful.
But for now, I’ll start by adding small touches here and there versus total immersion. I have a feeling I may develop a bit of an addiction and want to continue adding on. I’ll be documenting my office transformation via photos and sharing as I move along! I have a feeling that as I start to move actual items into place, I will get a better sense of the space I want to create. Pinterest and online shopping are great, but I’m definitely a “I need to see it” person (much to the chagrin of my husband who has immaculate visual spatial skills and can’t understand why I don’t have them by proxy!).
Has anyone out there done this with their home workspace? Have good Pinterest boards/pins I should check out? What are your favorite dopamine decor items for an office space? Leave ‘em in the comments as I continue on my quest for inspiration in dopamine decorating!
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