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Your laundry room might be small — but it quietly organizes your entire week.

In this episode of Your Home by Design, Nico breaks down laundry room design from a designer’s systems-first, neuroaesthetic perspective. This isn’t about baskets, labels, or Pinterest perfection. It’s about why this room becomes one of the most frustrating spaces in the home — and how thoughtful layout, clear systems, and intentional design can dramatically reduce mental load.

The laundry room is a working system. When it’s unclear, cluttered, or overloaded, it creates friction, unfinished cycles, and background stress. When it’s designed properly, it becomes quiet, efficient, and supportive — without you even noticing.

This episode will help you rethink your laundry room as a behavior-shaping space, not a leftover utility room.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why the laundry room becomes a catch-all — and how to stop it
• How visual clutter creates cognitive load (even when you don’t notice it)
• Why systems must come before storage or cabinetry
• How layout decisions quietly shape daily behavior
• When stacked appliances, tall cabinetry, or pocket doors actually make sense
• The difference between a thoughtful DIY refresh and a full design overhaul
• How good laundry room design reduces mental fatigue and unfinished cycles

If your laundry room constantly feels chaotic, this episode will help you see why — and what to do differently.

👉 Explore more design guidance at yourparo.com
👉 Follow along on Instagram @yourparo and @bynico.space

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Website: https://www.yourparo.com

Resources:

Free Living Room Know How. Free Bathroom Serenity Guide. Get the Free Guides Here! https://www.yourparo.com/free-guides

Digital Course: Design Your Home for Better Living https://www.yourparo.com/course

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This episode marks my first episode of 2026, and instead of a recap or big resolutions, I want to start the year by slowing things down.

In this episode, we reflect on what our homes have been carrying — what supported us, what quietly weighed on us, and what’s been asking for care and attention. We talk about simplifying not just our spaces, but our pace, our projects, and the way we make decisions at home.

I share why repairing before replacing can completely change how a home feels, how sharing responsibility in a household reduces tension and mental load, and why simplifying visually helps the most meaningful things come into focus. We’ll also explore where it’s worth slowing down and investing in things that last — and why rushing design decisions often works against us.

Throughout the episode, I return to a quiet image that’s stayed with me: a furniture maker carefully restoring an old chair. It wasn’t fast or flashy — but it felt like a reminder of how I want to approach home and life this year.

At Paro, we believe our homes are tools for better living. And sometimes the most meaningful change doesn’t come from doing more — but from slowing down enough to do things well.

Visit yourparo.com for free guides and resources to support you in creating space for better living.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why slowing down leads to better decisions in your home
• How unfinished spaces quietly create stress and mental load
• The grounding power of repair, maintenance, and care
• How simplifying together reduces tension in shared homes
• Why visual quiet helps meaningful pieces stand out
• Where it’s worth investing for long-term impact
• How rushing design decisions often costs more in the long run

Support the show

Website: https://www.yourparo.com

Resources:

Free Living Room Know How. Free Bathroom Serenity Guide. Get the Free Guides Here! https://www.yourparo.com/free-guides

Digital Course: Design Your Home for Better Living https://www.yourparo.com/course

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Lighting is one of the most influential — and most overlooked — design tools we have. In this short exploratory episode, Nico breaks down how lighting shapes the way we feel, sleep, focus, and move through our homes… and why the type of light we use may matter far more than we think.

You’ll hear how interior designers are trained to work with light, why most LEDs contain short wavelengths that signal “daytime” even when they look warm, and what emerging research (including a recent Huberman Lab episode with Dr. Glen Jeffrey) is beginning to reveal about LED lighting and our biology — from sleepiness to glucose levels.

Nico also shares a personal story about an evening spent in candlelight, why long-wavelength lighting like incandescent, halogen, sunlight, , and how these insights connect to her interest of the analog home.

If you’re curious about lighting, wellbeing, and how to design a home that truly supports you, this episode is a gentle introduction — and an invitation to go deeper.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Why lighting is treated as a core “material” in interior design
• The four main types of lighting designers use (and how they shape behaviour)
• How LEDs can look warm yet still emit short wavelengths that affect the brain
• Insights from Huberman & Dr. Glen Jeffrey on LED lighting and glucose regulation
• Why candlelight, incandescent, halogen, and sunlight emit longer wavelengths
• How lighting can be used as a wellbeing tool, not just a decorative choice
• Why room designation matters for mood, rest, and daily rhythm
• What the analog home is — and why people are craving it
• An invitation to explore how light might be impacting you more than you realize

Learn more & get the free Paro guides:
yourparo.com

Support the show

Website: https://www.yourparo.com

Resources:

Free Living Room Know How. Free Bathroom Serenity Guide. Get the Free Guides Here! https://www.yourparo.com/free-guides

Digital Course: Design Your Home for Better Living https://www.yourparo.com/course