Room to Think
Room to Think
Lyssia Katan
The Emotional Life of Wood
45 minutes Posted Jan 19, 2026 at 6:00 pm.
Setting The Theme: Beauty In Stress
Meet Miriam Carpenter
Forming An Artist’s Identity
Trees As Memory And Muse
Responsible Sourcing And Old-Growth Stories
Choosing Materials Through Concept
Decoding Burl And Spalting
Handmade Vs Mass Production
Grounded Spaces And Repair Culture
Teaching Care Beyond Technique
One-Week Shift Toward Intention
Spaces That Change Us
Design’s Next Decade
Gratitude And Closing
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Show notes
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 sid...