Breaking beige: How dopamine decor is brightening Singapore’s neutral homes

SINGAPORE – Green door frames matching green-grouted tiles. A pair of red and orange lamps. A tabletop rack in multiple pastels.

These are among the surprising pops of colour that brighten home baker Wong Jie Hui’s executive apartment.

But her Bukit Panjang HDB flat is not a colour explosion. Her walls, floors and larger furniture pieces are in neutral shades of mainly white, grey and beige. The bright colours are strategically deployed for hits of vibrancy throughout the space. 

“I just really like pops of colour around the home. They are uplifting,” says the 37-year-old. Her family, including her husband and two children, moved into the 1,528 sq ft home in July 2025.

Likewise, the base of marketing professional Lim Min’s four-room HDB flat in Bishan is decidedly neutral, encompassing concrete screed flooring and white walls. But splashes of colour abound, from pale yellow cabinetry in the kitchen to a slouchy burgundy Ligne Roset Togo lounge chair in the living room.

She shares the home with her husband, who works in tech. They moved into the apartment in December 2025. 

Ms Lim, 33, says: “The colours in our home definitely reflect our personal preferences, but there was also some intention behind how they came together. We’ve always been drawn to warm, optimistic tones because they bring a certain energy into a space.

“They also work really nicely with many of the furnishings we love – our wooden mid-century furniture and chrome lighting fixtures.”

Japandi and other safely neutral aesthetics have dominated interior design trends in Singapore over the last decade. But the homes of Ms Wong and Ms Lim exemplify a shift since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Priscilla Tan, founder of design firm StyledbyPT, says: “Clients are now more open to adding colour, pattern or texture, even if the base palette of the home remains neutral.”

Dopamine rush 

Retailers in the interior design industry have also noticed this shift. 

According to Ms Eleanor Lim, marketing director of home-grown laminates brand EDL – which supplies laminates for cabinetry, walls and other uses in interior design – there has been a move towards neutral interiors with “colour introduced in a more intentional way”.

“Increasingly, laminates in shades such as olive green, muted mustard, ink blue and soft terracotta are used as accents against lighter woods or warm neutrals,” she says.

Mr Michael la Cour, country retail director for Swedish home and lifestyle retailer Ikea Singapore, says: “Broader market trends show that home owners are increasingly seeking interiors that combine style with functionality through layering bold colours and textures to create spaces that feel both practical and unique.”

Concurrently, more home owners in Singapore are moving away from purely minimalist aesthetics towards homes that feel more expressive and reflective of individual style, he adds.

“Our latest Life At Home report shows that people increasingly want their homes to reflect their personalities and spark positive emotions,” he says.

The annual report from the company studies “how people live and what truly makes them happy at home”.

Related to this new trend is the concept of dopamine decor, which involves adding colourful items to the home to add brightness and fun. It has been trending since the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were stuck at home and looking for quick, easy ways to revitalise their living spaces. 

The name alludes to a chemical in the body, dopamine, which acts as the brain’s messenger for joy. Dopamine sparks the brain’s reward pathways, which is why a vibrant space can feel uplifting.

Ms Tan says: “From a styling perspective, dopamine decor doesn’t necessarily mean filling the home with bright colours everywhere.

“Often, it’s about thoughtful moments of personality: a colourful armchair, an unexpected artwork, patterned cushions or even playful objects on shelves. These touches add energy and individuality without overwhelming the space.”

A neutral base of beige walls and timber floors is almost akin to a blank canvas, she explains. “When you add colour through objects, textiles or art, it reflects the home owner’s taste and personality, and makes the space feel more unique.”

There are technical design principles underlying the end-effect as well, she adds. “Colour creates visual focus. In a muted interior, the eye naturally gravitates towards the coloured elements. This helps define zones within a room and adds depth to the overall composition.”

Colours and emotions 

Colours also have a very real effect on a person’s emotional well-being and sensory perception, although their exact relationship is less established.

Psychologist Annabelle Chow of Annabelle Psychology says: “There is no direct evidence that colour triggers dopamine release. But it can still shape the emotional experience of a space in ways that feel rewarding.

“Dopamine is best understood as part of the brain’s motivation and reward system, so colour may contribute indirectly if it makes a space feel more pleasant, comforting, or uplifting.”

Colour can help shape mood, attention and arousal, adds Dr Chow. “Broadly speaking, cooler tones like blue and green are more often associated with calm and restfulness. Warmer tones like red, orange and yellow tend to feel more energising, stimulating and attention-grabbing.”

But it is incorrect to assume that certain colours produce specific emotions. “Instead, they tend to influence how we feel through the meanings, memories and associations we attach to them,” she says.

“Rather than simply going for the brightest shade, it may be more helpful to choose colours that suit your personal taste and that you genuinely enjoy living with.”

In the short term, colour can shape the emotional tone of a space, making it feel calmer, brighter or more energising.

And in the long term, the real benefit may come less from any single colour and more from creating an environment that feels consistently supportive and enjoyable to live in, she says. 

A new kind of Japandi

Dopamine decor and this increasing interest in colour is not a death knell for Japandi and similar neutral minimalist aesthetics. 

Ms Tan says: “Japandi has been hugely popular because it offers calm, simplicity and a sense of order – qualities that many home owners appreciate in dense urban environments like Singapore.

“What I’m beginning to see is people keeping the Japandi foundation – the warm woods, soft neutrals and clean lines – but introducing more personality through layered elements. For instance: coloured ceramics, textured or patterned soft furnishings, and more expressive artwork.”

These details allow a space to showcase restrained flashes of eclecticism, while still respecting the calm aesthetic of Japandi.

“In many ways, I see dopamine decor less as a ‘trend’ and more as a reflection of people wanting their homes to feel emotionally supportive and expressive of who they are,” she adds.

“Globally, I think we’ll continue to see this evolution where people blend minimal styles with moments of personality.”