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Thinking about changing something in your home—but not sure where to start?

In this episode of Your Home by Design, Nico from Paro shares five design moves you can do this weekend to instantly elevate your home and, in turn, how you feel in it. These aren’t trendy hacks or quick fixes. They’re grounded in neuroaesthetic design—how light, flow, and visual harmony directly influence mood, energy, and focus.

You’ll learn how to:
 • Start with a conversation that gets everyone aligned
 • Fix the lighting to restore calm and regulate rhythm
 • Rearrange for flow so your body can actually breathe
 • Add art that tells your story
 • Create vignettes and space to pause

Plus a simple bonus move that transforms your mindset every time you walk into the room.

Because when your home starts working for you—even in small ways—you start showing up differently in your life too.

🎧 Listen now, and grab Paro’s free Living Room and Bathroom Guides at yourparo.com
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Free Living Room Know How. Free Bathroom Serenity Guide. Get the Free Guides Here! https://www.yourparo.com/free-guides

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In the final episode of the Home by Country series, host Nico Smutylo takes you inside children’s bedrooms around the world to reveal how design can shape calm, growth, and better living. From Denmark’s sense of calm and longevity, to Japan’s adaptable simplicity, to Germany’s structured precision, this episode uncovers how global design philosophies teach children rhythm, focus, and independence—and how you can bring those ideas home.

You’ll learn how a rug or Roman shade can ground the nervous system, how layered lighting supports better sleep, and how furniture height can teach independence. Nico shares eight actionable neuroaesthetic design principles inspired by international interiors—from the 70/30 balance rule to designing for growth and protecting the room’s purpose—to help you create a bedroom that truly supports your child’s mind and body.

Whether you’re redesigning a nursery, a tween space, or a teen’s room, this episode blends neuroscience, psychology, and timeless design to help you build a home that nurtures calm and creativity.

👉 Explore free guides, blog insights, and join the Create Space Digital Course waitlist at yourparo.com
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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

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Have you ever noticed how stepping through your front door can instantly change how you feel? In this episode of Your Home by Design, Nico explores the psychology of entryways — why this often-overlooked space has such a powerful impact on our stress levels, mindset, and sense of belonging.

From Japan’s genkan rituals to the layered warmth of French and Italian foyers and the quiet drama of Moroccan thresholds, discover what cultures around the world can teach us about creating a true moment of arrival. You’ll also hear five actionable design strategies to transform your own entryway — from defining your threshold and layering light to introducing rituals that calm your nervous system.

Because crossing your threshold isn’t just about walking into your house — it’s about shifting from doing to being.

🎧 Listen now to rethink the most overlooked space in your home — and design a better way to come home.

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

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From Japanese kitchens to Tuscan farmhouses, today we step into the world’s kitchens, and the psychology behind how they’re designed. We unpack what Japan’s precision, France’s layered romance, Scandinavia’s light-filled calm, Germany’s engineered order, Italy’s tactile luxury, and North America’s hosting-first mindset can teach you about your own space. You’ll learn the five make-or-break design factors (flow, storage, light, materials, details) and how to borrow country-specific ideas - like zoning tools to tasks, letting natural light lead, mixing old-world pieces with modern lines, and choosing hardware that feels as good as it looks. This is design with a PARO lens: grounded in neuroaesthetics, centered on everyday living, and tailored to help your kitchen support better cooking, connection, and well-being. Listen in for practical moves you can implement this week. 

Key Takeaways

• The 5 foundations: nail flow, storage zones, layered lighting, durable/tactile materials, and quality touch-point hardware.
• Japan: reduce visual noise; zone tools to tasks; embrace ma (purposeful negative space).
• France: mix old + new; open shelving, patina, marble/stone; prioritize quality over quantity.
• Scandinavia: maximize natural light; lighten materials (oak/pine); create calm, social nooks.
• Germany: invest in engineered organization (inner drawers, tall pullouts, corner solutions) for effortless ergonomics.
• Italy: let stone lead the palette; design for hosting and shared prep; balance rustic + modern.
• North America: treat the kitchen as a multi-use hub; use scullery/butler’s pantry intentionally (define what lives where).
• This week’s micro-moves: swap in warm dimmable bulbs, add one drawer insert per zone, edit 10 unused tools, and upgrade one daily-touch handle or faucet.

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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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Windows are more than openings—they’re design tools that shape light, mood, and connection. In this episode of Your Home by Design, Nico explores how different cultures approach window treatments and what that reveals about design psychology.

From Japan’s poetic minimalism and its seamless connection to nature, to France’s dramatic, layered drapery that radiates romance, to Scandinavia’s calm, light-filled simplicity—discover how window design reflects cultural values and impacts our well-being.

Through the Paro lens of design psychology and neuroaesthetics, you’ll learn not just the style differences, but the why behind them. Plus, professional tips on proportion, fabric choice, and installation that will elevate your own home and help you create spaces that feel intentional, cozy, and alive with light.

Key Takeaways

• Windows are dynamic design tools that frame light, mood, and nature.
• Japan teaches restraint: let nature act as living artwork.
• France shows the power of layering—shutters, sheers, and drapery create richness and warmth.
• Scandinavia proves that simplicity and translucency maximize light and calm.
• Professional tips: size drapery at 2–2.5x (or more!) window width, hang them higher and wider, and choose fabrics intentionally.
• Sometimes the best treatment is less treatment—deliberate restraint can be as powerful as decoration.

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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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What if you could design your table the way you design your home? In this episode of yourHOME by Design, we tour dining cultures - from Spain’s late-night sobremesa and Japan’s washoku rituals to France’s layered elegance, India’s abundant thali, and Scandinavia’s light-filled simplicity and translate them into practical choices for your space. We cover the ergonomics of a comfortable dining room, how lighting and texture shape mood and digestion, why plate and bowl design can change portion perception, and small rituals that turn dinner into connection.

You’ll leave with simple, high-impact tweaks: a 15-minute linger rule after meals, calm visual cues to slow eating, ways to reclaim a catch-all table, and ideas for both relaxed and elevated settings (indoors or al fresco). When you design your table with intention, you design how you live.

If this episode sparks ideas, share it with a friend and explore more resources at yourparo.com. Create space, and let your table tell the story of the life you want to live.

Key takeaways

• Design your table like your home: choose rituals, lighting, and textures that deliver the life you want.
• Try a 15-minute linger after dinner (hello, sobremesa) to boost connection and lower stress.
• Create visual calm: Japan-inspired balance and simple settings naturally slow eating.
• Elevate weeknights: layer linens, glassware, and a focal light for French-level “this matters.”
• Plates shape portions: wide rims and bowl sizes change how much your brain thinks you’re eating.
• Make it a team sport: Scandinavian style-shared prep, punctual dinners, everyone clears.
• Texture sets tone: rustic = relaxed and inviting; glossy = formal and careful.
• Outdoor counts: design al fresco to be as casual or as refined as your values.
• Reclaim the table: clear the catch-all zone and set a daily cue (runner, candles, flowers).

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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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 Ever wondered why people in Japan sleep on futons, why Germans swear by two duvets, or why the French infuse elegance and scent into their bedrooms? In this first episode of Home by Country: How the World Sleeps, we explore global sleep traditions and what they teach us about design, wellness, and creating a restful bedroom. From history to modern rituals, discover how culture shapes the way we rest and how you can borrow these ideas to transform your own sleep environment. Learn about light, scent, sound, air quality, and styling tips that blend design with science for deeper rest. 

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Website: https://www.yourparo.com

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

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Is your home quietly working against you? In this 50th episode of YourHome by Design, Nico uncovers five common design mistakes that are secretly causing stress- from visual clutter to poor furniture placement. Learn how to spot them, why they affect your well-being, and what small changes can make a big impact. Based in neuroaesthetics and real-life design strategy, this episode helps you use your home as a tool for better living.

Perfect for design lovers, wellness seekers, and anyone craving more calm, clarity, and control in their 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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Is your home starting to feel a little “off”- even if it looks beautiful? You might be experiencing design stagnation, and it could be quietly draining your energy, clarity, and motivation. In this episode of yourHOME by Design, recorded on a forest walk, Nico explores the concept of habituation - how our brains stop noticing what surrounds us and why this matters deeply for how we feel at home.

You’ll learn:

• How to spot the subtle signs of a stagnant space.
• The neuroscience behind why you stop noticing clutter, lighting, or layout issues.
• Simple tweaks to reignite purpose and beauty in your rooms.
• Why design isn’t just about aesthetics but about daily well-being and mental energy.
• Small, science-backed shifts you can make today to feel more alive in your space.

Whether you rent or own, love your home or feel disconnected from it, this episode will help you see your surroundings differently-and use them as tools to support a better life.

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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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What if your clutter problem isn’t about too much stuff - but not enough smart design?

In this episode of YourHome by Design, we explore how hidden storage and concealed rooms can create calm, support better daily rhythms, and reduce the friction you feel at home. From recessed bathroom mirrors to secret doors and cleverly disguised laundry spaces, I’ll walk you through high-level design strategies used to elevate function and well-being.

You’ll learn:

• Why hidden storage offers more than just a clean look
• How concealed rooms shape behavior and reduce stress
• Design details that create surprise, delight, and order
• The neuroaesthetic reasons your brain craves visual calm

Plus, I share a personal client story about transforming a forgotten entry closet into a focal-point bench with hidden storage-proving that overlooked spaces can become moments of joy.

If you want a calmer, more intentional home that supports your life, this episode is for you.

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