Angela Scanlon’s funky mug is what dopamine decor is all about – and we’re obsessed with it

This is how the Strictly star brings a bit of fun to every cuppa

Angela Scanlon portrait
(Image credit: Getty Images/Dave Benett)

One of the current favourites to win Strictly’s current 21st season, Angela Scanlon is the ultimate cool girl whose style and interior choices never cease to inspire us. Of course, Angela is no stranger to interior design, having hosted home renovation TV show Your Home Made Perfect for all of its four seasons. Our latest Angela-induced obsession? Funky, slightly wonky mugs that purposely look a little like a child had a hand in making them.

We know. It doesn’t sound like it should work but somehow this particular home decor trend really does. And the Strictly contestant is not the only one who’s fallen in love with them. These mugs, made by highly skilled ceramicists, are popping up everywhere. 

Previously, Angela put her giant clam shell decor on the top of our wishlist. And now, it’s these mugs which fit right in with the current dopamine decor trend. 

The Irish presenter introduced her favourite mug in an Instagram reel sharing the perfect hot cacao recipe, which by the end she sips out of her variation on the Wiggle mug by Harlie Brown Studio. Her exact colourway is currently sold out but we’ve found some equally maximalist and somewhat childish (in a good way) alternatives. 

Angela Scanlon’s dopamine decor mug 

First, it was the vintage-inspired tableware trend that took over our dinner tables and kitchen cupboards. And now, it’s “dopamine” mugs as dopamine decor is where this trend of eccentric mugs undoubtedly comes from.

Harlie Brown Studio tableware

(Image credit: Heal's)

‘We've heard of dopamine decorating, and I think eccentric mugs do just that,’ says Harriet Pringle, founder of homeware marketplace Narchie. ‘Brightly coloured, patterned and boldly decorated mugs are an easy way to inject some fun into everyday pieces.’

What is dopamine decorating? Anything colourful and fun that will have a mood-boosting effect, as Amy Wilson, in-house interior designer at 247 Blinds and 247 Curtains, explains. ‘Dopamine decor will help you bring a mood-boosting aesthetic to your home. It should be colourful, fun and full of personality. Contrasting colours are ideal for creating a colourful boost.’

Anything from the colour-drenching paint trend to mix-and-match bedding is essentially a symptom of dopamine decor.

Get the look

So if you’re after the trendy Angela Scanlon mug look, then you know where to go.

Sara Hesikova
Content Editor

Sara Hesikova has been a Content Editor at Ideal Home since June 2024, starting at the title as a News Writer in July 2023.

Graduating from London College of Fashion with a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism in 2016, she got her start in niche fashion and lifestyle magazines like Glass and Alvar as a writer and editor before making the leap into interiors, working with the likes of 91 Magazine and copywriting for luxury bed linen brand Yves Delorme among others.