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It’s a Podcast, but it also Creates Spaces
Listen up!
YourHome by Design isn’t just a podcast—it’s your secret weapon for transforming your home into a space that fuels your life.
Hosted by the creator of Paro, this show dives into the science of neuroaesthetics and the art of intentional design to help you create a home that works with you, not against you. It explores how your space shapes your mind, habits, and overall sense of well-being—so you can live with more clarity, calm, and intention. If you're ready to ditch the overwhelm and design a home that truly supports the way you want to live, this is the podcast for you.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN HERE:
Simple Shifts, Big Impact
Every episode offers approachable guidance on how to observe, tweak, and elevate your space. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or ready for change, you’ll learn to make thoughtful updates that align with your goals. It’s all about designing a home that helps you thrive—one small shift at a time.
Design That Heals, Not Drains
Learn how your home can support your health, happiness, and energy—rather than add to your stress. This podcast explores how design choices impact your brain and body, using research-backed insights and real-life tips. You'll discover ways to create a home that truly supports better living.
The Soul of a Space
We go beyond trends to explore the deeper meaning of home—what it says about you, and how it makes you feel. Through personal stories, design principles, and neuroscience, you’ll learn how to shape spaces that reflect your story and support your well-being. This is where intention meets beauty, and design becomes a tool for transformation.
MY FAVORITES
FEATURED EPISODES
Not Just a Bathroom: Transform Yours Into a Daily Spa Retreat Ep 43
Avoid the Sourcing Trap: The Key Steps Before You Start Buying. Ep 44
From Boring to Beautiful: How to Start Personalizing Your Blank Space. Ep 37
The Art of Rest : Designing a Bedroom for Deep Restorative Sleep. Ep 40
LATEST EPISODES
Catch up on the
The Invisible Design of a Well-Working Kitchen Ep #68
A well-working kitchen isn’t defined by what you see—but by how it supports you. This episode explores the invisible design decisions that make a kitchen feel effortless.
Your Home Isn’t You—It’s What You’ve Seen: Designing for Authentic Living. Ep #67
Why does your home feel off—even when it looks good?
Learn how comparison, trends, and external influence shape your space—and how to design a home that truly supports your life.
The Small Changes That Transform Your Home (And Your Life): Simple Design Shifts With Massive Impact. Ep #66
Small shifts. Big impact.
This episode breaks down how to transform your home using simple, intentional design choices—no renovation required. Learn how to create calm, functional spaces that actually support your daily life.
The Lost Art of Listening Rooms: Designing Homes That Slow Life Down Ep #64
Your home is either protecting your attention or stealing it. In this episode we explore listening rooms, design psychology, and how intentional spaces shape focus and daily li
How to Choose Wallpaper Without Regret | Repeat, Scale & Designer Tips Ep #63
How to choose wallpaper without regret. Learn designer secrets about repeat, scale, pattern rhythm, and how to integrate wallpaper into your home intentionally for better living.
Laundry Room Design: How Smart Layout and Systems Reduce Daily Stress Ep #61
The laundry room isn’t a leftover space — it’s a system. Learn how intentional layout and design choices can reduce mental load and quietly organize your life.
Simplifying Your Home: How Slowing Down Creates Better Living Ep# 60
What if the most powerful way to begin 2026 was by slowing down — in your home, your decisions, and your pace?
The Hidden Power of Light: Designing a More Analog Home Ep #59
How lighting design influences mood, sleep, and focus — from layered interiors to wavelengths, LED light, and the growing shift toward a more analog home.
The Man Cave Myth: Why We Retreat and How to Co-Design Spaces Everyone Feels at Home In Ep# 58
What makes a room feel like home — and why some people retreat to the garage or den? Unpack the psychology behind personal zones and walk away with practical, elevated design tips and a 4-question framework for co-designing shared spaces without losing personality.
Five Design Moves to Instantly Elevate Your Home (and Your Life) Ep #57
Five small design moves that elevate your home—and your life.
Home by Country: Children’s Bedrooms Around the World — How Design Shapes Calm, Growth, and Better Living. Ep #57
Explore how children’s bedrooms from Denmark, Japan, and Germany inspire calm, creativity, and independence. In this Home by Country episode, Nico Smu shares global design lessons and eight neuroaesthetic principles to help you create a space that supports your child’s growth and well-being.
Home By Country : Across the Threshold – How the World Designs Entryways Ep #55
How global entryway rituals—from Japan’s genkan to Moroccan thresholds—can calm your nervous system and redesign your arrival home. Plus five high-impact tips for small or busy foyers.
Home By Country : Kitchens of the World. Design, Materials + Mindset. Ep #54
Global kitchen design inspiration - from Japanese efficiency and French atmosphere to Italian material drama and North American hubs. Learn how culture, lifestyle, and neuroaesthetics shape the way kitchens look and function.
Home By Country: How the World Dines Ep# 52
Pull up a chair for a tour of global dining rituals—and how to translate them into a table style that fits your life. From Spain’s sobremesa and Japan’s washoku to France’s layered elegance, India’s abundant thali, and Scandinavia’s light-filled calm, we unpack ergonomics, lighting, textures, and even plate psychology to turn weeknight meals into connection. Walk away with simple rituals and design tweaks—linger 15 minutes, reclaim the catch-all table, set the mood with light—that make eating feel better and home life flow easier.
Home by Country: How the World Sleeps Ep#51
How the world sleeps—discover global bedroom rituals, design tips, and sleep secrets to create your most restful space yet
5 Hidden Design Mistakes Secretly Stressing You Out - And How to Fix Them
In our 50th episode of Your Home by Design, we uncover five hidden stress triggers quietly stealing your energy at home- from visual clutter to poor lighting and how intentional design can restore flow, ease, and wellbeing. Discover simple shifts that transform your home into a space that truly supports the life you want to live.
Hidden Storage and Concealed Rooms: Design Tricks That Create Calm, Order, and Impact Ep #48
Discover the design strategy that reduces stress and adds beauty—hidden storage and concealed rooms that bring calm and intention to every space.
Why You Should Start Thrifting for Your Home - And How to Do It Like a Designer Ep #47
Discover how vintage objects bring story, soul, and style into your home. In this episode, I share my favorite secondhand sources, design tips, and a personal story that proves meaningful pieces can transform your space—and your connection to it.
Avoid the Sourcing Trap: The Key Steps Before You Start Buying Ep #44
Before you start sourcing materials or shopping for furniture, there’s a crucial step most people miss—planning. In this episode, I share the designer mindset you need to avoid overwhelm and make confident, aligned decisions for your home. Learn how to approach sourcing with clarity, intention, and a clear vision.
HEY THERE!
Hi, I’m Nico—designer, space enthusiast, and lover of all things home.
YourHome by Design to help you shape a home that supports your real life—not just one that looks good in a magazine. Around here, we mix science with soul, a little bit of research with a lot of heart, and always leave room for beauty, clarity, and calm.
But it wasn't always this way.
There was a time when my home felt more like a source of stress than a place to recharge. When I began studying how our spaces affect our mood, focus, and well-being, everything shifted. That journey led me to create Paro and this podcast, so I could help others move beyond surface-level design and build homes that actually support better living. Today, my home works with me—and I get to guide others to that same feeling of ease, clarity, and purpose.
This isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about learning a better way. What changed for me is possible for you too.
CREATE SPACE DIGITAL COURSE
Where aesthetics meet wellbeing—shaping homes that support living.
Design your home for better living! Say goodbye to overwhelm and frustration. Our digital course will show you how to turn your home into a powerful tool for better, healthier, beautiful living.