KIM COOK
Associated Press
World got you down? A hit of \u201cdopamine decor\u201d might lift the spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The biggest trend in home decorating this fall is an emphasis on happiness, self-expression, color and creativity. Does orange make you smile? Dress your kitchen in the happy hue. Love a variety of styles? Do a mashup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The look goes by many names. Fashion writer Dawnn Karen referenced the feel-good brain chemical in her book \u201cDress Your Best Life,\u201d holding that \u201cdopamine dressing\u201d \u2014 wearing clothes in your own, individual style \u2014 gives you positive feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018BARKITECTURE\u2019 AND OTHER WAYS TO USE A ROOM
The trend toward making rooms more comfortable, functional and personal gained steam during the pandemic, when many people were homebound. And it continues to grow, Phillips says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnused guest rooms are home offices. Formal dining rooms become craft spaces. And \u2018barkitecture\u2019 is having a moment \u2014 installing dog baths and other pet-specific features,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Decor is awash in aesthetic \u201ccores\u201d \u2014 Barbiecore, cottagecore, coastal grandma, mermaidcore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t take it to mean we\u2019re bouncing from trend to trend super quickly. To me, it means people are defining their own style, and really getting to the root of the designs they love, even if that\u2019s a little more colorful, kitschy or funky,\u201d says Phillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS LOOSENED THE CREATIVE REINS
There\u2019s lots of inspiration on the internet. \u201cIf, 15 years ago, we all wanted the picture-perfect kitchen we saw online, today it\u2019s all about taking a trend or beautiful interior that you see on TikTok or Instagram and pulling out the details you love,\u201d says Phillips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGen Z is on the cusp of becoming our new homeowner,\u201d says Amanda Kruse of Upspring PR, a New York-based marketing firm for real estate, design and interiors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they\u2019re more likely to mix styles for a personal spin, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ARTSY ELEMENTS
Emilie Munroe began designing a San Francisco family\u2019s Victorian home by leafing through a sheaf of torn-out magazine images from the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe knew immediately our design should exude happiness and inspire curiosity,\u201d says Munroe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A tiny powder room got an exuberant pink-and-black, animal-print wallpaper. In a tight hallway next to a window, there\u2019s a kaleidoscopic wallpaper, an abstract rug and a Basquiat-patterned chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
London-based design editor Cara Gibbs, meanwhile, has noticed the free-wheeling use of paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel like it used to be wacky to paint a room pink from top to bottom, but now the application of these bright, poppy palettes is chic, interesting and most importantly very livable. I\u2019m here for it!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So is Massachusetts designer Nicole Hirsch. She\u2019s put a zingy green \u2014 she calls it \u201calligator\u201d \u2014 on a bathroom ceiling. Tangerine on a playroom ceiling. Cobalt blue, lipstick pink and chrome yellow add lively punches on furnishings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HIDEAWAYS
In her own California home, designer Alison Pickart has the kind of roomy closet that storage-challenged homeowners would envy. But she saw value in a different use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a hall closet, but with its generous size and great natural light from a back window, I just felt like the space could be \u2018more,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So she turned it into a little \u201cphone room\u201d for herself. \u201cIt seemed like the perfect size and place to escape, with some privacy to make a call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clara Jung of Banner Day Interiors worked with clients on a San Francisco ranch house that\u2019s full of big, airy spaces. But nudge the secret panel in the living room bookcase and you\u2019ll find a cozy, color-saturated, album-lined music den. There\u2019s a vintage wood bar and a sprawl-worthy crimson rug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe homeowners are avid LP collectors,\u201d she says, \u201cand the husband\u2019s a musician.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jung was ready to install a door when the clients suggested creating the secret entrance instead. \u201cWe loved the idea!\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s the perfect escape for an audiophile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe that\u2019s the new decorating rule: Create your own \u201cperfect escape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The Associated Press. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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