Room to Think

Lyssia Katan
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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.

Episodes

  1. Our Prehistoric Brains at Home

    4 DAYS AGO

    Our Prehistoric Brains at Home

    Send a text 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.

    1h 13m

  2. TRAILER

    Room to Think Trailer

    Send us a text Hosted by Lyssia, Head of Brand at LiLi Tile, Room to Think explores the intersection of interior design and psychology. Each episode features conversations with architects, designers, artists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and makers who understand both the beauty and the science behind the spaces we live in. Together, we unpack how your home quietly shapes your mood, habits, energy, and relationships, and translate those insights into practical takeaways you can apply to your own space immediately. The goal is simple: to help you build a better life by design. Welcome to Room to Think.

    1 min
  3. From Bottle Service To Bedroom Bliss

    3 FEB

    From Bottle Service To Bedroom Bliss

    Send us a text Some rooms nudge you to relax, connect, and smile before you’ve said a word. Others feel loud, flat, or awkward. We wanted to know why, so we brought on designer–builder John Sofio to break down the psychology of space—from high-energy nightclubs to quiet, restorative homes—and the small, invisible choices that change how people feel. John shares how a simple shift to figure-eight circulation transformed his club projects by giving guests agency and relief in crowded rooms. We dig into spatial hierarchy, VIP psychology, and why bar corners and “blockers” create intimacy without walls. Then we translate those ideas to homes and restaurants: compress ceilings over seating, expand in circulation, keep lamps low and warm, and aim for 30–40% soft surfaces so conversation stays rich, not shouty. If you’ve ever left a restaurant exhausted by the noise, you’ll love his acoustic playbook. We also get hands-on with materials and proportions. John explains how handmade details carry soul, why durability can coexist with beauty, and how kevlar-backed upholstery, thin cushions, and solid cores keep hospitality seating comfortable and tough. He shares precise dimensions for seats, backs, and tables that make bodies relax—and talks through a practical three-color paint system that sculpts light in any room. Throughout, he returns to a powerful mindset: treat your home as a machine for living and tune it to give you energy back. If you’re designing a venue, upgrading a dining room, or just trying to make your living room feel more like you, this conversation gives you real steps to build flow, calm, and connection. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves design meets psychology, and leave a review to tell us which idea you’ll try first.

    1h 9m
  4. Designing Places That Feel Human

    27 JAN

    Designing Places That Feel Human

    Send us a text Your surroundings are shaping your mood before you take a single step. We sit down with Professor Justin Hollander to unpack the hidden psychology of places—why our brains hunt for faces in facades, how ornament and craft earn long-term care, and what happens when cities are designed for cars instead of people. From the figural primitive to the power of light materials and human-scale detail, this conversation connects neuroscience with everyday design choices you can make at home and across a neighborhood. We dig into the realities of shrinking cities and the courage it takes to “plan for decline” so daily life still feels coherent and humane. Hollander explains why some historic forms endure—active ground floors, symmetry, texture—and how blank walls and oversized boxes flatten our attention and sap joy. We explore the social fabric too: third places, wide sidewalks, and plazas that draw people out of their homes, counter loneliness, and create the casual contact that makes communities resilient. On the practical side, you’ll hear research-backed takeaways: break up blank walls, balance detail with visual breath, aim for a view or “primal vista,” and consider lighter tones to boost mood. At the city scale, we challenge the status quo with a case for new towns planned for walking, biking, and mixed use, enabled by smarter zoning. We also touch on the 20-minute city and emerging links between walkability and brain health, showing how thoughtful design can support memory and well-being over a lifetime. If this sparks ideas for your home or your block, join us for more design-meets-psychology insights—subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show. About the Guest Professor Justin Hollander is Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University. His research focuses on how environments influence human behavior, combining urban planning, neuroscience, psychology, and design. Learn More About Professor Hollander’s Work Tufts University Faculty Profile https://facultyprofiles.tufts.edu/justin-hollander Research article: How facades and materials impact perception and emotion https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09613218.2025.2506065 Book: Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment https://a.co/d/jby9U51

    51 min
  5. The Emotional Life of Wood

    19 JAN

    The Emotional Life of Wood

    Send us a text What if the most beautiful parts of your home are the ones that survived the most stress? We sit down with sculptor and designer Miriam Carpenter to explore how wood records its life in burl, spalting, mineral streaks, and movement—and why those marks of strain feel so human. Miriam shares how she begins with concept before choosing a material, letting the season of her life dictate whether she turns to wood, bronze, or clay. From a floating table that honors a fallen tree’s resilience to side tables that reveal hidden complexity only when you kneel and look closely, her work invites a slower, more attentive way of seeing. We also talk stewardship and sourcing. Miriam partners with local lumber brokers who mill trees only after they’ve fallen or been responsibly removed, keeping a living chain of trust and history intact. Some pieces come from centuries-old oaks, transforming dormant giants into objects that breathe in new spaces. Along the way, we unpack the emotional difference between handmade and mass-produced furniture. Fast design isn’t just an aesthetic problem—it can dull our sense of meaning. Handmade objects carry human signatures that we can feel; they teach us to slow down, repair, and reconnect. Natural light, honest materials, and clutter-free surfaces become tools for mental clarity and everyday calm. If you want an immediate shift, start with one small act: choose a handmade item you already own and give it care—oil a wooden bowl, dust a beloved mug, or move a crafted piece into the center of your daily view. That single gesture can spark a repair culture at home and reset your relationship with your space. Press play to learn how resilience in trees mirrors resilience in people, and how design choices can nurture well-being, attention, and belonging. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves spaces with soul.

    45 min
  6. Foxes, Folk Art, And The Feel Of Home

    11 JAN

    Foxes, Folk Art, And The Feel Of Home

    Send us a text What if your home could hold your favorite memories in plain sight? We sit down with artist and designer Adam Trest to explore how Southern roots, a tiny museum, and an unexpected detour through architecture shaped a language of pattern, color, and story you can actually live with. From the joyful foxes that became a family mantra to the blue-and-white collection sparked by a week inside Portuguese ceramic studios, Adam shows how meaning sneaks into our work—and why the story often reveals itself only after the paint dries. We dig into the craft behind whimsy: why rabbits on a restaurant floor or birds that form a hidden nest can reset a mood, and how the Arts and Crafts movement inspires him to put beauty where people least expect it. Adam breaks down his approach to color—using restraint, anchoring a palette, and letting hues “talk” to each other—so tiles stay bold yet livable. He opens the door to his studio too: white walls, a massive plywood desk, familiar soundtracks during composition, audiobooks during the rhythmic refinement of pattern, and a sketchbook packed with notes and messy thumbnails that eliminates creative block before it starts. Along the way, we trade practical advice for choosing art you love over trend-chasing, and for building rooms that feel collected rather than copied. You’ll hear how parenting recharged Adam’s perspective, why character homes age with grace, and how small spaces—like a jewel-box pantry—can hold huge personality. If you’re curious about storytelling through design, living with handcrafted details, and making color choices that lift your mood daily, this conversation is your guide. If this resonated with you, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves thoughtful design, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Your space can tell a better story—start writing it today.

    1h 2m

Trailer

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
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Room to Think
  • Show Website
    Room to Think

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