Last week I read about the relatively new design philosophy dopamine décor for the first time. Looking into it, it seems to resonate with how I decorate myself and our brand aesthetics. It’s all about color and joy! As a decorating philosophy, dopamine decor emphasizes using colors, patterns and textures to create a space that brings you happiness. Dopamine, one of the feel-good chemicals in the human brain, plays a role in the way we mark and remember pleasurable experiences. The dopamine décor aesthetic is all about decorating in a way that stimulates the brain through the use of layered colors, patterns and textures. This corner of my friend Ebba’s summer guest house embodies this fully.
Even though the term dopamine décor is catchy, I prefer the term “People want happy” that I heard two years ago during a trend seminar. The seminar was so fascinating in regards to how we want to live and how the current changes in society affect us. Two years on, I believe "People want happy" continues to resonate with so many people; unfortunately the world certainly hasn’t become a kinder place. We hear it from our customers, they long for color and happiness. Something uplifting and positive. Even those who historically have opted for white, beige and muted colors are longing for a happier and warmer home.
I’m usually not interested in trends when it comes to design and color, especially in interior design, but I think it’s always worth listening and learning from those who study people, trends and movements. According to research we haven’t been this miserable and worried for over a century, not even during WW2 did the future feel so grim. People want to spend time with friends and family, we want to enjoy ourselves and get off the hamster wheel. Fomo (Fear of missing out) has been replaced with Jomo (Joy of missing out), craftsmanship is steadily on the rise and slowly gaining the attention it deserves. Knitting, growing your own vegetables and other tangible skills is considered high status. Folklore, decoration and tradition with a current twist appeal to the younger generation. Raw materials, transparency and small scale production are on the rise- hooray!
Even though the future at times feels desperately dark, I felt uplifted listening to this seminar. People want happy. And we are here to provide you with all the textiles and color your home needs!
These interiors below illustrate many of the things that make me happy. Home, colors, patterns, comfortable sofas, books, flowers and hopefully music. Places to spend time with friends and family. Some of my favorite designers who master this skill are Markham Roberts, Laura Gonzales, David Netto, Luis Laplace, Virginia Tupker, Rita Konig, Matthew Carter, Katie Rosenfeld and Isabel Lopez-Quesada. To mention a few.
Our small scale production; where we dedicate ourselves to craftsmanship and a slower, more humane pace, feels extra special at times like these. I feel such fulfillment in running my own business, designing patterns I love myself, producing in Sweden at factories I am proud of working with and the fact that I get to work together with talented people I respect and love. People who have become friends. The fact that I get to “borrow” the most beautiful homes for photo shoots and at the same time get to know the fantastic people who live in these homes and experience the stories these homes tell. I am so grateful for that.
People Want Happy.
xx Cathy
