Room to Think
Room to Think
Lyssia Katan
The Illusion of the Perfect Home
57 minutes Posted Apr 28, 2026 at 4:00 am.
Perfect Homes Versus Real Life
Meet The Design Duo
Why One Studio Lowers Stress
Architecture Versus Interior Design
How Designers Read Your Life
Solving HVAC Without Ugly Bulkheads
The Childhood Clues Behind Their Careers
Function First And Project Types
Renovating Your Own Home
Durability And Managing Expectations
Designing For Mess And Storage
The No Tidying House Walkthrough
Planning For Budget And Timeline
When Clients Panic Mid Build
Surprises Behind Walls And Fast Fixes
Expensive Changes And False Dormers
Advice Before You Call A Contractor
Purging Stuff Instead Of Building Bigger
Designers As Therapists
Final Takeaways And Closing
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Show notes
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 functions day to day. The conversation breaks down the difference between spaces that are designed ...