What happens when you strip your home down to nothing but a mattress on the floor? In this episode, I share my journey of living in an empty apartment, selling my TV, and discovering what the “void” can teach us about design, creativity, and intentional living.
For most of my life, I’ve lived in completed spaces - decorated bedrooms, furnished apartments, and styled homes. But now I’ve chosen something different: to live in an empty apartment without the comfort of a finished room, to remove distractions like the TV, and to sit with the discomfort of space as a blank canvas. This decision has led me to uncover new truths about design and about myself.
This is not just an episode about interior design. It is about how we live, how we create, and how we connect with our spaces. So often, we rush to fill the void - to buy the sofa set, to mount the TV, to decorate quickly so a room feels “done.” But design isn’t about speed or perfection. Design is about listening. It is about noticing how we want to feel in our homes, and then carefully choosing pieces that reflect that feeling.
Living in the void has forced me to slow down and reflect on how I want my home to serve me. Without the TV as a focal point, I’ve noticed deeper conversations and more intentional energy flowing through my space. Without furniture, I’ve had to confront boredom and stillness, and I’ve realized how powerful those states can be for creativity.
In this episode, you’ll hear me talk about:
• The lessons of an unfinished space and why discomfort can be the starting point for transformation
• How decision fatigue shows up in interior design and how to reframe your approach from individual choices to holistic design thinking
• The power of the story behind your furniture, art, and objects, and why energy and intentionality matter when creating a home
• Why living without a TV has opened up new ways of connecting with friends and myself
• What it means to design with all six senses and how music, scent, texture, and color all contribute to how a space feels
• Small shifts you can try today - moving furniture, experimenting with silence, adding intentional objects - to unlock creativity in your home
I also share about my summer hiatus, my recent design projects, and what sitting in this “void” is teaching me as a designer and as a person. My hope is that wherever you are on your design journey - whether you are moving into your first apartment, refreshing a bedroom, or navigating a full renovation - this conversation helps you reimagine what your space can be.
Too often, we approach design as a checklist. Buy the sofa. Find the rug. Hang the art. Check the boxes and move on. But our homes are not meant to be styled showrooms. They are living reflections of who we are. When we slow down and approach design with intention, we begin to see our homes not as finished products, but as mirrors of our identity and our growth.
The void teaches patience. It teaches us to live with less, to notice what we miss, and to discover what we truly value. From there, the design becomes not just functional, but deeply personal. It is about creating a home that reflects who you are today and supports who you are becoming.
Read my latest Substack essay on creativity and hidden gems: https://arielarts.substack.com/
Order my book Your Space Made Simple: https://amzn.to/3KuTkK2
Learn more about Space Therapy: https://arielarts.studio/services/space-therapy/
Follow along on Instagram @arielarts for design inspiration and behind-the-scenes updates