Dopamine décor is the trend that's taking over kitchens this spring

With spring and summer ahead, what better time to refresh your kitchen and add a little colour into your home?

Read on for our guide on how to embrace this latest trend in your kitchen, plus inspiration from the homes of some of our favourite chefs and food writers.

Jump to:

• What is dopamine décor?
• Dopamine décor kitchen inspiration
• Our favourite ways to embrace dopamine décor in your kitchen

What is dopamine décor?

Dopamine décor is a home design trend born out of the dopamine dressing trend on social media. The idea is to embrace colours, shapes and designs that make you feel good, rather than prescribe to a minimalist aesthetic.

By embracing colours, textures and designs in your kitchen, you can make the space feel more inviting when hosting friends and family. Where professional kitchens need to be sleek and pared back, your home kitchen can be as colourful and unique as you like.

Dopamine décor kitchen inspiration

Sarah Raven's Sussex kitchen

Gardening and cookbook author Sarah Raven's East Sussex kitchen provides brilliant inspiration for dopamine décor. Raven uses bright orange lamps over the dining table, with contrasting cushions on each seat. She says: "I am anything but a minimalist (every shelf in my kitchen is jam-packed)."

As a gardening author and teacher, it's not surprising that Raven's kitchen is full of flowers and foliage, which is another brilliant way of bringing colour into a space, especially in the summer months.

Rukmini Iyer's London kitchen

Food writer, stylist and author Rukmini Iyer shares her London kitchen with her husband, daughter and her dog, Pepper. The space embraces pops of colour, from the bright blue units to red kitchen appliances, and even the contrasting turquoise bar stools.

Speaking about her kitchen before she renovated it, Iyer says: "The kitchen had large white tiles on the floor, white units, a white island and white countertops, and it just wasn’t our style – it felt a little clinical and cold. I do all my recipe testing and writing in the kitchen, so it’s really important for me to be in an inviting space that fosters creativity."

Claire Thomson's Bristol family kitchen

Chef, food writer and author Claire Thomson embraces colour in her bright and airy kitchen in Bristol. Pops of colour are throughout the space, from the rainbow bookshelf to gallery wall of prints. On her kitchen, Thomson says: "I love my new Everhot oven – bright yellow, it’s a bonkers pop of sunshine in the kitchen, a real centrepiece."

Sophie Robinson's Lewes kitchen

Interior designer Sophie Robinson provides great inspiration if you're wondering how to combine different colours and patterns. Robinson says: "I set my heart on a yellow kitchen, as it’s such a joyful and uplifting colour, and paired it with chalk pink base units... I then added a third colour to the island in deep red, so it really anchors the room. I can’t tell you how much pleasure seeing these colours brings me, all tied together beautifully by the wallpaper pattern."

Our favourite ways to embrace dopamine décor in your kitchen

KitchenAid Artisan mixer tilt-head 4.8-litre 5KSM125 in empire red

• Available from Amazon (£379.95), KitchenAid (£449), Very (£549)

If you're a baker, a KitchenAid mixer is an essential for making everything from bread doughs to cake mixes quickly and easily. There's also a host of attachments available, from a bowl for making ice cream to a pasta roller. One of the things we love about the KitchenAid's mixers is the bright colours on offer: empire red is an eye-catching hue, but you could also choose the colour of the year, butter – a gorgeous sunshine yellow.

Available from:
Amazon (£379.95)
KitchenAid (£449)
Very (£549)

Heal’s Bistro 12-piece cutlery set by CAPDECO

• Available from Heal's (£159)

Colourful cutlery is a great way to introduce bright hues into your everyday dining. This set features primary colours on the handles and is handcrafted and assembled in France to ensure the quality. This 12-piece set is enough for four table settings, and we love the classic elegance of the shape. If you're looking for more inspiration, check out our guide to the best cutlery sets.

Available from:
Heal's (£159)

Staub round cocotte in citron

• Available from Zwilling (£349), Harrods (£349)

If you're looking for an investment piece of cookware, a Staub cocotte is durable and versatile, plus it comes with a lifetime warranty. Made in France, the enamelled cast-iron casserole dishes come in a wide range of sizes, from 12cm up to 34cm. The cast iron conducts heat brilliantly, making it perfect for searing, sautéing, frying and more. Try the citron colour to add a pop of yellow to your kitchen.

Available from:
Zwilling (£349)
Harrods (£349)

Moccamaster KBG filter coffee machine in orange

• Available from Amazon (£235.99), Selfridges (£285)

The retro design of this filter coffee maker means it would fit into many kitchens. We found the machine easy to set up and to use, producing delicious, piping hot coffee. With a wide range of colours on offer, it's a brilliant choice if you're looking to embrace dopamine décor in your kitchen, like this vibrant orange.

Available from:
Amazon (£235.99)
Selfridges (£285)

Bodum x MOMA Ettore electric kettle

• Available from Selfridges (£60)

We love Bodum for its coffee equipment, and this collaboration with New York's Museum of Modern Art is no exception. It embraces a post-modern style and is perfect for adding a touch of dopamine décor to your kitchen with its bright, contrasting colours.

Available from:
Selfridges (£60)

Our Place Mini Always Pan in lavender

• Available from Our Place (£100), Selfridges (£100)

Our Place is well known for its eye-catching colours and overall attractive aesthetic. The lavender colour is a dreamy and whimsical pale purple that can be taken from the hob to the table when you're hosting. The colour is sadly being discontinued (so, snap it up quickly!), but is still available in the Mini Always Pan, one of our favourite frying pans for versatility.

Available from:
Our Place (£100)
Selfridges (£100)

M&S set of two wine glasses

• Available from M&S (£7.50)

If you're going for a maximalist approach to tablescaping, it's time to embrace colourful glassware. There are definitely some pricey options out there (we love the Our Place glassware), but if you want a more affordable option, try this set of two wine glasses from M&S. With bright blue stems, green bases and pink cups, they're lovely for entertaining.

Available from:
M&S (£7.50)

Eleanor Bowmer set of four Electric Coast Icon napkins

• Available from Very (£28), La Redoute (£30)

When bringing dopamine décor to your dining table, you can get really playful with mixing and matching, which is perfect if you're catering for a crowd but don't necessarily have 12 matching plates. Lean into the mismatched vibe with these linen napkins from Eleanor Bowmer, which each feature a different colour, pattern and design, yet fit together perfectly.

Available from:
Very (£28)
La Redoute (£30)

Jamie Oliver Big Love Super Server (34cm)

• Available from Lakeland (£39.99), Amazon (£39.99), Debenhams (£40)

Playing around with your serveware can be a brilliant way of embracing a trend like dopamine décor without restyling your whole kitchen. This serving bowl is perfect for pasta dishes or large salads, and is a cheery yellow that's great for adding a pop of warmth to your table.

Available from:
Lakeland (£39.99)
Amazon (£39.99)
Debenhams (£40)

Emma Bridgewater bright green side plate

• Available from Emma Bridgewater (£22)

Made by hand in the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-On-Trent, this plate is part of a new collection from the brand that focuses on bright colours. It's decorated with a sponge pattern, which makes every plate unique – we love this bright plate, which is also available in lion yellow, lavender and rose pink.

Available from:
Emma Bridgewater (£22)

Heal’s Raie fabric table lamp

• Available from Heal's (£126)

When trying to embrace new trends in the kitchen, it can be easy to get caught up in cookware. But, if you have room in your home, changing the way your kitchen is lit or what's on your walls can be brilliant for refreshing the design. With stripes that are reminiscent of deckchairs, this lamp from Heal's a great way of adding fun and colour to your space.

Available from:
Heal's (£126)

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