Room to Think

Lyssia Katan
  • 5.0 (3)
  • DESIGN

Room to Think explores how the spaces we live and work in shape how we think, feel, and function.Hosted by Lyssia Katan, Head of Brand at LiLi Tile, the podcast features conversations with world-class architects, designers, neuroscientists, psychologists, and cultural thinkers. Together, they unpack how light, layout, materials, sound, and spatial decisions influence stress, focus, creativity, and wellbeing, and share practical insights you can apply in your own home or workspace.New episodes drop on Tuesdays. Follow Room to Think on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. Architecture Beyond The Eyes

    2D AGO

    Architecture Beyond The Eyes

    In this episode, Lyssia sits down with architect, educator, and author Juhani Pallasmaa to talk about the sensory experience of architecture and why we experience buildings with our entire body, not just our eyes. The conversation explores how modern architecture became overly focused on vision and aesthetics, and what we lose when we ignore touch, sound, shadow, memory, and imagination in the spaces we create and live in. They discuss why old buildings often feel more comfortable than new ones, how childhood memories shape our idea of home, why materials should age and carry time, and how even small details like a door handle can change the way we experience a building. The conversation also dives into the role of imagination, the importance of sensory awareness, and why architecture should ultimately help us feel more human, more grounded, and more connected to the world around us. More Room to Think: Juhani Pallasmaa Website: https://www.pallasmaa.fi/ LiLi Tile https://lilitile.com Room to Think https://roomtothinkpodcast.com/ Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    48 min
  2. Designing for Neurodivergent Minds

    MAR 24

    Designing for Neurodivergent Minds

    In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Dr. Kati Peditto, a researcher focused on the intersection of human behavior, neuroscience, and the built environment, to talk about neuroinclusive design and why designing for the brain should be a standard part of every project. The conversation goes far beyond sensory rooms and explores how environments affect cognitive load, behavior, stress, productivity, and overall human experience. They discuss why many spaces are designed with good intentions but still fail the people using them, the importance of autonomy and choice in environments, and how designers, clients, and communities can start creating spaces that work for more people — including neurodivergent individuals, people with temporary injuries, aging populations, and anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, distracted, or uncomfortable in a space. More Room to Think: Dr. Kati Peditto Website: https://www.katipeditto.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katipeditto/ LiLi Tile https://lilitile.com Room to Think https://roomtothinkpodcast.com/ Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    1h 6m
  3. How Childhood Designs Your Home

    MAR 17

    How Childhood Designs Your Home

    Your home is doing more to your mood than you think, and a lot of it has nothing to do with “good taste.” I’m joined by Amber Dunford, a mental health therapist and design psychology educator, to unpack why certain rooms feel instantly calming while others quietly put your body on edge. We trace it back to attachment theory, early childhood environments, and the way memory builds an emotional blueprint for what “safe” looks like in adulthood. We get practical about the nervous system and the built environment. Amber explains how clutter can keep your brain scanning like it’s looking for danger, why contained clutter feels less stressful, and how the five senses belong in interior design. We talk texture as a grounding tool, why ordering samples matters, and how scent can become a powerful cue for comfort because smell and memory are processed so closely together. If you’ve ever caught a familiar fragrance and felt transported to another time, you’ll understand why “signature scent” design is more than a trend. Then we zoom out to layout and lighting. Curves tend to read as calmer than sharp angles, and the idea of prospect and refuge helps explain why we love booths, cozy corners, and seating with a protected back. Amber shares lighting guidance that’s simple but transformative: layer your lights, warm up your bulbs, use dimmers, and prioritize natural light to support sleep, mood, and regulation. We also dig into color psychology, including when warm tones make a space feel more intimate and when cool tones can visually expand a small room. If you care about interior design, mental health, and creating a home that actually supports you, this conversation will give you a new lens and a better starting point. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who’s redesigning their space, and leave a review so more people can find Room to Think. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    1h 6m
  4. The Secret to Timeless Design

    MAR 10

    The Secret to Timeless Design

    Here’s the quiet truth about good design: the best rooms are edited, not stuffed. We sit down with designer Molly Torres Portnoff of Date Interiors to unpack how restraint, space planning, and material choices shape the way a home actually feels day to day. Molly’s path from fashion merchandising to interiors sharpened her editor’s eye, and she brings that focus to every project—prioritizing proportion, texture, and longevity over trends. We dig into the subtle levers that calm the nervous system: fewer heroes, more visual rest, and a clear hierarchy so the eye knows where to land. Molly explains why flow beats decor every time and how her tiny Manhattan studio became a crash course in zoning a single room for sleep, work, dining, and display. For open-plan homes, she shares smart ways to carve zones with millwork, freestanding storage, layered rugs, and lighting—without closing anything off. If trend fatigue has you second-guessing your taste, you’ll learn how to de-influence your algorithm and build spaces that stand up to time. We talk color courage and practical testing—large samples, multiple walls, changing light—plus the case for mixing patina-rich materials with steadier finishes. Tile lovers, don’t miss the grout segment: why a great tile can be sunk by the wrong grout and how to insist on real sample boards to get it right. You’ll walk away with tools you can use today: painter’s tape mockups to fix flow, sample strategies that save money, and a timeless design mindset that puts how you feel first. Join us to rethink your rooms with intention, edit with confidence, and create a home that looks like you and lives like you. If this conversation resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can build a better life by design. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    59 min
  5. The Spaces That Heal Us

    MAR 3

    The Spaces That Heal Us

    What if your room could lower your stress, sharpen your thinking, and help you sleep—without you doing anything extra? That’s the promise Dr. Esther Sternberg brings to life as we explore how design choices become signals to the brain and immune system. From the science of stress and inflammation to the subtle ways air, light, sound, and nature steer your biology, this conversation reframes “interior design” as everyday preventive medicine. We trace Dr. Sternberg’s research journey—from early evidence that the brain and immune system talk, to a personal health crisis that healed in a small Cretan village. That experience revealed the seven domains of integrative health—sleep, resilience, environment, movement, relationships, spirituality, and nutrition—and showed how a place can make healthy behavior effortless. We dig into the practicals: why clean air and great ventilation are nonnegotiable, how rising indoor CO2 silently sinks cognitive performance, and how circadian light in the morning pays off with better sleep and mood the next day. If open offices frustrate you, you’ll learn why noise is the biggest culprit and how to hit the sweet spot near 45 decibels with materials, baffles, and smarter layouts. We share simple home upgrades too—plants by a window, full-spectrum morning light, blue-light blockers at night, micro-movement breaks, and gentle nature soundscapes. And because work isn’t only about work, we talk about the ROI of social connection: choice-rich spaces that let introverts and extroverts find their focus while making it easy to gather, recharge in nature, and actually enjoy coming in. You’ll also hear about immersive “recharge rooms” delivering a 15-minute daily dose of calm that reduces anxiety, depression, and burnout while improving sleep and team cohesion. By the end, you’ll see how tiny shifts in humidity, temperature, light, and control can reset your baseline and make well-being the default. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who cares about healthier spaces, and leave a review to help more people turn their rooms into tools for better living. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    1h 20m
  6. When Design Becomes The Problem

    FEB 24

    When Design Becomes The Problem

    Ever wonder why a room that photographs beautifully feels stressful to sit in? We dig into the science with Dr. Anja Jamrozik, an environmental psychologist turned product leader, to reveal how light, noise, temperature, faces in view, and even app layouts quietly steer your focus, memory, and stress. The big shift: your brain treats physical and digital spaces as environments, and environments train behavior. We trace Dr. Anja’s path from cognitive neuroscience to running living lab experiments that tweaked lighting, temperature, and noise—then uncovered a wild effect: when those were off, people swore air quality was worse, even when sensors proved it hadn’t changed. That holistic judgment explains common design fails, from echoey glass partitions and “watched” feelings in open plans to dark contrast corners no one uses. The fix is empathy and intention: design for the activity, not the rendering. Shield sightlines for deep work, tame acoustics, and make beauty serve function. Then we take those lessons into software. Switching tabs is a digital doorway that wipes working memory. We break down how to keep critical info in context, structure comparisons side by side, and weave in biophilic cues—subtle motion, natural textures, and seasonal color shifts—to restore attention. Control matters too: let people shape their digital “rooms” the way they move furniture at home. We also explore the pull of handmade work. Evidence shows people value handmade objects more and feel more competent when they make things—if the outcome lasts. In an AI-saturated world, the human signature, with all its variation and patina, may matter more than ever. Along the way, Dr. Anja offers one high-impact move you can try this week: work by a window with a view to boost working memory and inhibition. Add a plant, soften sound, and run a five-minute meta-check: what rose to awareness is your data. If this sparked ideas, help others find it—follow the show, subscribe, and leave a quick review. Share it with someone who craves a calmer home office or a more humane app. Your space can teach your brain to focus; let’s design it to help. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    45 min
  7. Renovate Smarter, Not Faster

    FEB 17

    Renovate Smarter, Not Faster

    Renovation success isn’t about swinging hammers faster—it’s about slowing down where it counts. We sit with Danny Wang, Head of Growth Initiatives at Block Renovation, to unpack the real engine of a smooth project: planning, trust, and aligned expectations. From the first Pinterest save to the final walkthrough, we map the steps that keep your timeline, budget, and sanity intact. Danny shares the upstream moves that prevent downstream chaos: define scope with precision, price against a real plan, order materials early, and lock permits before demo. We get specific on contractor selection—how to read detailed bids, why outlier prices are a trap, what milestone-based payments look like, and how a GC’s subs actually dictate finish quality. You’ll learn the red and green flags that matter, plus a simple test to gauge how a contractor handles friction and options when surprises pop up. We also tackle the money decisions that change daily life. Invest in function and skilled labor; don’t let fragile materials or complex patterns outpace installer expertise. Choose plumbing systems you can trust, be honest about maintenance on stone and grout, and budget a 10–15% contingency for the unknown. For high impact on a lean budget, start with lighting, paint, and floors. If you’re eyeing resale, prioritize infrastructure—windows, roof, doors—and storage that shows beautifully; for long-term living, tailor the layout to your routines and keep finishes timeless. By the end, you’ll know how to start early, avoid the “rush premium,” and use a designer strategically to catch issues invisible to the untrained eye—glare, task lighting, ergonomics, and code constraints. Renovation is change management for your home and your habits. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend planning a project, and leave a review with the one question you’re asking every contractor now. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    1h 12m
  8. Our Prehistoric Brains at Home

    FEB 10

    Our Prehistoric Brains at Home

    Ever walked into a beautiful room and felt strangely tense? We dig into why spaces that photograph well can still exhaust your brain—and how small, science-backed changes can flip a room from draining to restorative. With Dr. Sally Augustin, environmental psychologist and author of Designology, we unpack how design cues shape stress, focus, creativity and the way we treat each other. We start with clutter and minimalism, revealing how both visual overload and visual scarcity strain attention. From there, we map out biophilic design in practical terms: one plant per sightline, real materials like wood with visible grain, and the “meadow on a spring day” test to balance calm with gentle richness. We break down the hidden cost of glare, why matte beats mirror shine, and how shiny hospital floors can even change how people walk. Then we get tactical with light: cooler, brighter overhead light for analysis; warmer, dimmer lamps for creativity and connection; and the habit shift that gets blinds back up to restore daylight benefits. Behavior shifts come from seating and layout too. A thin cushion softens negotiations. A slight recline lowers arousal in tough talks. Round and oval tables reduce hierarchy signals, while moving chairs off the short ends of a rectangle makes conversation more equal. Orientation matters: give people a backstop and a view to reduce vigilance and distraction. We also tackle sound the realistic way—open offices fail when speech bleeds into focus zones. Very soft nature sounds can mask language without feeling manipulative, and subtlety is the rule for any scent or sound if you want buy-in. Culture and language shape form preferences more than we think—curves often feel welcoming, sharp right angles signal speed—so context matters, especially when people are under stress. And throughout, we keep perspective: design is powerful, but it works best alongside aligned incentives and real knowledge. The takeaway is simple and freeing—design for your inner chipmunk, aim for the meadow, place light like the sun, and ignore trends that fight human nature. If this conversation sparked ideas, follow and subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a calmer, smarter space. Loved this episode? Let us know! Subscribe to Room to Think If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who would appreciate a more thoughtful approach to their space. New episodes every week. Build a better life by design. Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram

    1h 13m
See All (13)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Room to Think explores how the spaces we live and work in shape how we think, feel, and function.Hosted by Lyssia Katan, Head of Brand at LiLi Tile, the podcast features conversations with world-class architects, designers, neuroscientists, psychologists, and cultural thinkers. Together, they unpack how light, layout, materials, sound, and spatial decisions influence stress, focus, creativity, and wellbeing, and share practical insights you can apply in your own home or workspace.New episodes drop on Tuesdays. Follow Room to Think on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Lyssia Katan
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Room to Think
  • Show Website
    Room to Think

You Might Also Like