Dopamine Design: Creating a Home That Makes You Happy

by Maitri Mody

Create a colorful, unique home that invokes joy in every room with this playful guide filled with renter-friendly tips and more than 100 stunningly vibrant photographs from Maitri Mody of the viral Instagram account honeyidressedthepug.

Brilliantly bold colors and patterns, eclectic prints, inviting textures, and a nostalgia-infused vibe—these design elements lay at the heart of dopamine decorating.

More than just an interior design handbook, Dopamine Decor (named after the feel-good neurotransmitter) inspires you to embrace colorful, daring, and lively elements to create a space—and a life—filled with things that invoke pleasure and joy, without breaking the bank.

Social media star designer Maitri Mody guides readers through the pillars of dopamine living in five

Making, Mending & Finding Your Flow  The Thrill of the Hunt and the Joy of Vintage Color That Hits Different Playing With Lighting, Textures, and Patterns  Finding Your Drive Through Design
Studded with 100 smile-inducing photographs, eight home tours from popular designers, and actionable, step-by-step tips and renter-friendly advice, Dopamine Decor is the only guide you need for crafting your own unique happy place.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dopamine Design is a guide on decorating your space in a way that gives you joy and showcases individuality. It is not a exactly a how-to book, but rather an idea book. There is so much to take away from the anecdotes about decorating, with failures and successes as well as back stories for the inspiration.

There are sections about picking colors, a tool list for a paint project, mini quizzes, homeowner interviews and photos of their spaces, tips, lists, and on and on. Each section is quirky and varied, I think this is more than just a coffee table decorating book. Loved!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for folks who want color and oddity in their homes. The author didn’t just include photos of her own home but of a variety of other folks, with interview questions, photos and advice from each set of homeowners.

I love color and whimsy in homes but none of these homes were my personal aesthetic. These ones involved a lot of mixed bright and odd colors, modern design and often minimalism (I’m more of a boho maximalist with a touch of country cottage and kitchen witch? Something bonkers for sure that no one will ever write a book about).

There were still a lot of features here that I resonated with, like a lot of these spaces had a lot of plants and one home featured lots of disco balls (I have billions of plants and a big disco ball hanging amongst some of them in a sunny window seat). I also appreciated the tidbits of advice and the focus on sustainability ~ most of the homeowners decorated primarily with Facebook marketplace and thrifting, with a few custom designed pieces. Even if none of the spaces were ones I’d want to live in, all of them inspired me in little ways and were fun to read.

I love the diversity that we finally have in decorating books. It’s not just about modern fake farmhouse decor or million dollar homes you’d be afraid to sit down in. This is a fun addition to the mix.

I read a temporary online copy of this book for review.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good design book, and I love bright colors, so being attracted to *Dopamine Design* was a no-brainer. My dirty secret is that I usually don’t read much of the text—I just look at the pretty pictures—but here, I was drawn in by the author’s personal story and how creating joyful, expressive spaces helped improve her life.

The book is organized into five chapters, and there are definitely some helpful takeaways throughout. I found myself saving a number of photos and ideas, particularly around using color and personality in a space, which made it a worthwhile read. As someone who has always been hesitant to tackle DIY projects, Maitri gave me a bit of motivation to move forward.

That said, many of the interiors didn’t fully resonate with me. A lot of the spaces felt a bit too young for my taste (I’m in my 50s, so I may not be the exact target audience), and while the overall concept is appealing, I’ve seen stronger and more compelling examples of this style of design elsewhere.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy bold, maximalist interiors and are looking for encouragement to experiment with color. Personally, I liked the book and am glad I read it, but it’s not one I’m looking to add to my design book collection.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!

It is such a great collection of photos of amazingly fun and cute and joyful homes.

This also has some design tips and design philosophies and places of where to get items.

I did think that including the tips was a nice touch. I'm sure plenty of people probably want some guidance when it comes to interior design.

I just love design like this so much. It's so fun and makes me happy (hence the name of it). I'm glad color is coming back. I am anti the sad beige/millennial grey designs of late.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and inspirational.

While not all of the designs were right for me, they were all bright, busy, and whimsical.

It's heavily focused on DIY (I am NOT a DIY person. I'm a pay someone else to do it person.) and very maximalist, so if you want things still colorful and fun, but not so very busy, this might not be quite right for you.

But it definitely will inspire you to embrace color and fun in your design style!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a dopamine induced book! I love the colors and the idea to let go of your fears to follow your own palette. I feel the point of this book is let your light shine bright in whatever way your dopamine needs.

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a pretty colorful book with a super catchy title! Definitely out of my comfort zone but giving me some confidence to try out some color on the walls. Nice collection of homes.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this concept of dopamine design, and it is also budget friendly! This book gave me some great ideas for my living room design.