Room to Think
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 architects, designers, neuroscientists, psychologists, and cultural thinkers. Together they unpack how light, layout, materials, sound, and spatial decisions influence stress, focus, creativity, and wellbeing. The show offers practical insights you can apply to your own home or workspace. New episodes drop on Tuesdays.
Episodes
What Rome Got Right
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with architect, leadership coach, and best-selling author Diane Van Buren to explore what Rome can teach us about beauty, architecture, and the way we live today. Drawing from her years living in Rome and her background in architecture, Diane looks at why the city’s piazzas, fountains, public spaces, and handcrafted details still feel so powerful centuries later.T
Beneath the Beauty
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Elizabeth and Rich Landry, the husband-and-wife team behind Kensington Design House, to explore what may be hiding beneath the surface of a beautiful home. Bringing together Elizabeth’s background in psychology and science-informed design with Rich’s architectural perspective, they look at the ways our homes can quietly affect our health, stress levels, habit
Designing for Quiet
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Julian Treasure, leading expert on sound, communication, and the power of listening, to explore something most of us rarely think about: how the sounds around us shape the way we feel, focus, communicate, and live.Julian explains why sound deserves just as much attention in design as color, texture, lighting, and layout. We may stop consciously noticing the h
The Aesthetic Brain
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, neurologist, cognitive neuroscientist, and founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics at the University of Pennsylvania, to explore what actually happens in the brain when we experience beauty—and why some spaces simply feel better than others.Dr. Chatterjee breaks down the science of neuroaesthetics and explains how our br
From Curb to Counter
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Dan D’Agostino, founder and principal architect of Plan Architecture, to explore what it really means to design a custom home. Working across architecture and interiors, Dan has built his practice around a “curb to counter” approach, thinking through everything from how a house sits on the land to how someone moves through the kitchen, and his work asks a dec
Home By Horoscope
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with astrologer Anthony Perrotta, founder of AP Astrology, to explore the surprising connection between astrology and the spaces we live in. With a background in fashion, interior design, marketing, and more than 16 years of studying astrology, Anthony looks at birth charts not as fortune-telling, but as a way to understand patterns, preferences, and the environme
Light Is A Drug
In the first episode of season two, Lyssia sits down with Dr. Mariana Figueiro, director of the Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai and one of the leading researchers in light and human health, to explore how light shapes far more than what we see. Originally trained as an architect, Dr. Figueiro has spent her career studying how light affects our circadian rhythms, sleep, mood, alertn
Season 1 Rewind, Part 3: Invisible Forces
In this special Season One Rewind episode, Lyssia revisits some of the most thought-provoking conversations from Room to Think to explore the invisible forces that can shape how a home feels. Featuring Kimberly Gallagher, Danijela Saponjic, Tami Sharp, and France Brunel, this episode moves between feng shui, energy, clutter, Ayurveda, materials, and the nervous system to ask a deceptively simple q
Season 1 Rewind, Part 2: Home and Memory
In this special Season One Rewind episode, Lyssia revisits some of the most memorable conversations from Room to Think to explore the connection between home, memory, and identity. Featuring Juhani Pallasmaa, Shavonda Gardner, Amber Dunford, Adam Trest, Miriam Carpenter, Maggie Wilkerson, Emily Campbell, and Dr. Esther Sternberg, this episode looks at why certain places, objects, materials, and ri
Season 1 Rewind, Part 1: The Science of Feeling
In this special Season One Rewind episode, Lyssia revisits some of the most compelling conversations from Room to Think to explore the science behind why spaces make us feel the way they do. Bringing together insights from Dr. Sally Augustin, Dr. Esther Sternberg, Dr. Anja Jamrozik, Dr. Kati Peditto, and Professor Justin Hollander, this episode looks beyond aesthetics to understand how our surroun
Murals, Memory, and the Meaning of Home
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Hollis Callas, a California-based illustrator, muralist, and designer, to explore how art, nature, memory, and personal expression can bring a space to life. Working across illustration, textiles, tile, interiors, and large-scale murals, Hollis creates art rooted in the natural world and in the small experiences that make a place feel meaningful. From flowers
Desire by Design
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Professor Beatriz Colomina, architectural historian, theorist, author, and professor at Princeton University, to explore the hidden forces shaping the spaces we live in and what those spaces reveal about us. Known for her groundbreaking work connecting architecture with media, medicine, sexuality, technology, and modern life, Beatriz has spent her career chal
The Art of a Collected Home
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Maggie Wilkerson, interior consultant and founder of Collected Home, to explore why a house can be filled with things you love and still not feel quite right. Known for helping people create thoughtful, layered interiors that feel cohesive without becoming overly designed, Maggie approaches decorating as both a creative practice and a form of problem-solving:
The Rooms People Remember
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Emilie Munroe, founder and creative director of Studio Munroe, to explore what makes a beautifully designed room become a home people actually remember. Known for creating colorful, sophisticated, and deeply personal interiors, Emilie approaches design less as the creation of a signature look and more as an act of translation: understanding how someone lives,
Space Beyond Square Footage
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Shavonda Gardner, an interior designer, writer, and small-space expert rethinking what it really means to live well at home. Known for her bold, moody, and deeply personal interiors, Shavonda has built her work around a belief most people forget: just because a home is small does not mean your life, style, or sense of possibility has to be.The conversation br
Ayurveda for Your Home
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with France Brunel, a home wellness coach, interior designer, and Ayurvedic coach rethinking how our homes affect the way we feel, function, and move through life. Blending interior design with principles from Ayurveda, France has built her work around a question most people never think to ask: what if your home is either supporting your well-being or quietly work
Materials, Mood, and Heatproof Living
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Tim Sperry, a material scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur rethinking how the built environment affects the way we live. From developing the first air purifying paint to creating heat reflective coatings through his company CoolCoated, Tim has spent his career asking a question most people in the industry never think to ask: what if the materials around us
Beautiful On A Budget
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Alyssa Martin, the creator behind Alyssa Martin Home, whose content has helped thousands of people design spaces they actually love without spending more than they need to. After years of watching people feel stuck, overwhelmed, or convinced they needed a bigger budget to fix what was bothering them about their home, Alyssa became focused on a question most o
The Streets We Stopped Walking
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Paul Stout, the creator behind Talking Cities, whose content has helped millions of people understand why some places feel alive and others feel completely soulless. Growing up in Los Angeles and experiencing walkable city life for the first time in Salzburg, Austria, Paul became obsessed with one question most of us never think to ask: why do some cities fee
Your Home Has A Personality
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Kimberly Gallagher, founder of The Feng Shui Flow, host of the Calm and Happy Home podcast, and author of The Calm and Happy Home. After leaving her career as a teacher, Kimberly rebuilt her life around one idea most of us never really consider. Your home isn't just where you live, it's something you have a relationship with.The conversation breaks
The Eye That Shaped a Skyline
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Kobi Karp, a legendary Miami-based architect whose firm has designed over $36 billion in buildings across the world, from luxury resorts and residential towers to affordable housing and historic restorations. With more than 30 years of shaping the Miami skyline and beyond, Kobi brings a perspective on architecture that goes far deeper than what any building l
Building Behind the Scenes
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Gregg Sulkin, an actor known for his work on screen who has quietly spent the last decade building a real estate portfolio rooted in long-term thinking, renovation, and understanding what actually makes a home work. Coming from an industry defined by uncertainty, Gregg shares how real estate became a way to create stability, structure, and something tangible
A Home That Feels Like You
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Emily Campbell, founder and principal designer of Emily Jane Interior Design, to explore why the most meaningful homes are not just designed to look beautiful, but to feel deeply personal and restorative. Drawing inspiration from nature, memory, and emotional connection, Emily shares how her background in fashion, entrepreneurship, and design led her to creat
What Lingers in a Space
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Tami Sharp, co-founder of Law Enforcement Coaching and a specialist in mental, emotional, and energetic well-being, to explore the invisible forces inside our spaces and how they shape the way we think, feel, and move through life. Working at the intersection of high-stress environments and personal healing, Tami shares how her experience with law enforcement
The Illusion of the Perfect Home
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Alana Nielsen and Kelly Breiter, the duo behind Alana + Kelly Design Co., a residential architecture and interior design studio, to explore why the idea of the “perfect home” often fails in real life. Working across both structure and interiors, they share how designing holistically allows them to bridge the gap between how a home looks and how it actually fu
Designing for the Desert
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Dustin Ence, architect, builder, and founder of Dustin Brent Design Build and Sagewood Homes, to explore what actually makes a home feel good—and why so many homes fall short. Dustin shares how working across both design and construction gives him a unique perspective on what gets lost between the blueprint and the finished space, and why being involved in th
The Hidden Forces of Feng Shui
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Danijela Saponjic, founder of Unfolding Space and a feng shui master, to explore the invisible forces inside our homes and how they shape the way we think, feel, and move through life. Danijela shares how she discovered feng shui during a transitional moment in her life, when she came across the idea of clutter clearing and became curious about how changes in
Confidence, Criticism, and the Fear of DIY
In this episode, Lyssia sits down with Harley Gusman, creator of Harley Renovating, to talk about the psychology behind DIY, confidence, and what really stops people from starting. Harley shares how she went from documenting small personal projects to building a platform where she renovates spaces publicly, embracing mistakes, criticism, and the learning process in real time.The conversation explo
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 spa
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
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 blue
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 propo
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 “inter
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 tr
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 u
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
Room to Think Trailer
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 relatio
From Bottle Service to Bedroom Bliss
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 trans
Designing Places That Feel Human
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
The Emotional Life of Wood
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 tu
Foxes, Folk Art, and the Feel of Home
Subscribe to Room to ThinkIn this first episode of Room to Think, Lyssia sits down with artist and designer Adam Trest, whose work lives at the intersection of storytelling, pattern, and emotion. From growing up in the South surrounded by handcrafted objects to studying architecture and fine art, Adam shares how his environment shaped not just his style—but the way he thinks about the role of art
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