Insatiable Longing for Refurbishment: I Consulted Psychiatrists to Uncover the Meaning Behind Persistent Desire for Change and Offer Strategies to Bypass It
In the world of interior design, the compulsive urge to redecorate a home is a common phenomenon. This urge is primarily driven by psychological factors related to dopamine-induced novelty seeking, emotional expression, and the desire for psychological safety and self-identity renewal.
Psychoanalyst Anat Joseph, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who works with children, adolescents, and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, and complex relationship challenges, notes that our homes are extensions of ourselves. Redecorating can be a form of self-expression, especially during life transitions.
The Diderot effect explains how acquiring a new item triggers a dopamine rush, motivating people to change surrounding décor to maintain a feeling of harmony and novelty, which is rewarding neurologically. This dopamine spike fuels the craving for constant renewal and improvement in one's living environment.
Redecorating often serves as a form of self-expression, particularly during significant life changes such as breakups, career transitions, or identity shifts. People use changes in their home to signal internal emotional transformations externally. It can also be a therapeutic process to reclaim a sense of ownership and rewrite difficult past memories associated with the space, helping with emotional healing.
Moreover, redecorating can fulfill a basic need for creating a safe, emotionally calming environment. Through design choices, individuals attempt to foster a sense of emotional security and comfort in their homes, which can translate to feeling safer internally.
Psychotherapist Dana Colthart, who specializes in OCD and eating disorder treatment and uses exposure therapy (ERP and ACT) in her practices, agrees. She suggests that the urge to redecorate can occur when one yearns to reclaim their home and make it feel authentically theirs. The urge to redecorate can also tie into feeling safer.
In uncertain times, changing one's environment can provide a sense of control and agency, according to Dana. She received her graduate degree from Fordham University seven years ago, while Anat Joseph has a Master's degree from NYU and certification in psychoanalysis.
In addition to the psychological aspects, redecorating can offer a source of grounding and transformation for people, as Anat Joseph notes. It can lift mood, reduce anxiety, and create a fresh emotional atmosphere. A lovely example of functional decor that's fashionable is the Set of 2 Woven Paper Trays from Anthropologie.
A space can represent loss or difficult memories, and people might redecorate in order to rewrite memories or make a space for new ones, according to Dana. A cheerful decor piece that can brighten a home even in the absence of flowers or candles is Lene Bjerre's Corille Vase.
Lastly, Loewe's Yellow Honeysuckle Scented Candle adds a decorative flourish while also perfuming a home with a subtly sweet floral fragrance. The burn time is 10 hours, making it a perfect addition to any redecorated space.
In conclusion, the compulsive urge to redecorate combines the neurochemical reward from novelty, psychological needs for self-expression and identity alignment, and the emotional drive for safety and healing within one's personal space. Understanding these psychological factors can help individuals make more informed decisions about their home decor and find a balance between novelty and stability.
- In the realm of interior design, the kitchen, living room, and even bathroom can be transformed as part of the redecoration process, serving as extensions of one's self and reflecting personal style and identity.
- The urge to redecorate, particularly during life transitions, can be a form of interior-design-based self-expression, offering a means to signal emotional transformations externally.
- Changes in home décor can also serve as a therapeutic process, helping individuals reclaim a sense of ownership and rewrite difficult past memories associated with specific spaces, contributing to emotional healing.
- The living room, for instance, can be designed to foster a sense of emotional security and comfort, creating a safe, emotionally calming environment for the home's inhabitants.
- The art and texture of home decor, such as Lene Bjerre's Corille Vase or the Set of 2 Woven Paper Trays from Anthropologie, can serve as decorative items that bring a cheerful and refreshing atmosphere to the living space.
- A focus on lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty trends can lead to the incorporation of design elements like tiles, colors, and decor in the bathroom, enhancing its aesthetics and function.
- The adoption of a new item triggers a dopamine rush and sparks an urge for individuals to redesign their interiors, as explained by the Diderot effect, seeking to maintain a feeling of harmony and novelty within their living environment.
- Social media and entertainment offer platforms for inspiration and sharing ideas for home improvements, driving trends in interior design and fueling the desire to redecorate.
- Lastly, the choice of décor pieces such as Loewe's Yellow Honeysuckle Scented Candle not only adds a decorative element but also provides a pleasing fragrance, contributing to the overall enjoyment and transformation of one's home.
