If you’ve ever walked into a room and instantly felt calmer, sharper, or oddly nostalgiccongrats, you’ve met the
“not-just-aesthetics” side of interior design. The sofa didn’t do that alone. The paint color didn’t do that alone.
The room did it as a whole: the light, the rhythm, the materials, the memories it triggers, and the way your body
moves through it without bumping into a coffee table that clearly has unresolved issues.
For Leyden LewisBrooklyn-based interior designer, artist, and creative directorthis is the point. He’s talked about
being inspired not only by what looks good, but by what a place feels like: the “vibration,” the essence, the
context, and the people who will live inside it. In other words, the room is never just a picture; it’s a lived
experience with a soundtrack, a backstory, and a job to do.
In this article, we’ll unpack why Leyden Lewis sees interior design as more than aesthetics, how that philosophy shows
up in real projects, and what you can borrow from his approachwhether you’re designing a penthouse, a rental, or a
bedroom that currently doubles as a charging station for every device you own.
Who Is Leyden Lewis (And Why People Pay Attention)
Leyden Lewis leads Leyden Lewis Design Studio (LLDS), a Brooklyn-based practice known for “poetic and culturally sensitive
spaces” and a fluid blend of art, architecture, and interior design. He trained in architecture at Parsons School of
Design (The New School), has taught at Parsons and the New York School of Interior Design, and has been recognized by
major design institutions and publications over the years. His studio work spans residential, commercial, and institutional
spaces, and his creative output extends into furniture, objects, and art.
Architect’s Brain, Artist’s Heart
Lewis is often described as bridging worlds: architecture, interiors, art, and even performance. That matters because it
changes how decisions get made. An architect’s training tends to push you to consider structure, circulation, and function.
An artist’s practice pushes you to consider meaning, narrative, symbolism, and emotional response. Put them together and
you don’t get a room that simply “matches”you get a room that communicates.
“More Than Aesthetics” Means Designing the Human Experience
When Lewis talks about inspiration, he doesn’t reduce it to a mood board of pretty things. He’s described being drawn to
the essence of a spaceits energyand adapting that essence to the people and context he’s designing for. That is the key
shift: the goal isn’t just visual harmony; it’s human harmony.
Here’s what that looks like in practice: a great interior doesn’t simply photograph well. It supports how you live, how you
gather, how you rest, and how you feel when you’re alone with your thoughts (and your laundry pile).
Pillar 1: Context Comes First (Location, History, and the “Why”)
Lewis has emphasized the importance of architecture, location, and the history of a hometreating design as collaboration
with clients and with the building itself. That mindset resists copy-paste style. A beach house isn’t supposed to behave like
a Midtown apartment. A family home isn’t supposed to behave like a showroom.
Context-driven design asks: What does this place want to be? What does it need to handle? How does light enter? What sounds
show up? What stories already exist hereand which ones are we adding?
Pillar 2: Storytelling Isn’t ExtraIt’s the Framework
Storytelling can sound fancy until you realize it’s simply coherence over time. A story has a beginning, a middle, and a point.
In interiors, storytelling shows up as intentional choices that relate to identity and memory: art that anchors a room, materials
that age beautifully, objects that mean something beyond “I bought it because it was on sale.”
Lewis’s work is frequently described as culturally rich and rooted in narrativebridging art history with contemporary expression
while honoring design origins across the African diaspora and global traditions. That emphasis helps a space feel personal rather
than generic.
Pillar 3: Art Is Not a DecorationIt’s a Co-Star
In several interviews and profiles, Lewis describes art as central to his design philosophysometimes even helping clients build
collections. This makes sense: art is one of the fastest ways to give a room identity, tension, humor, and emotional gravity.
It also changes how you treat furniture and objects. Instead of “fill the space,” you curate it.
And yes, this is where “collectible design” enters the chat. Lewis has pointed out that long before the industry labeled it,
he was already drawn to sculptural furniture and pieces that behave like art. The result is a room that feels like a conversation,
not a catalog.
Pillar 4: Culture and Representation Shape What “Good Design” Even Means
Lewis’s creative life includes participation in cultural exhibitions and design activism moments, and he’s associated with efforts
to amplify Black creatives and broader representation in the design industry. In practice, this can show up in whose work gets
specified, collected, and celebratedand what visual languages are treated as “luxury,” “modern,” or “timeless.”
When you treat design as cultural work, aesthetics become a vehiclenot the destination. Beauty is still present, but it’s carrying
meaning.
Real-World Examples: How the Philosophy Shows Up in Projects
The Kips Bay Show House Milestone: Creativity Without Client Guardrails
Lewis has described participating in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House early in his career as a turning point: a chance to express
design creativity fully without the normal constraints of client needs. That matters because show houses reveal a designer’s
instinctswhat they do when they’re not negotiating every choice.
In his retelling, the space became a platform for art, sculptural furniture, and pieces he designed and fabricatedproof that his
“more than aesthetics” perspective wasn’t theoretical. It was material. It was built.
The Galerie House of Art and Design: Every Element as Narrative
In Sag Harbor, Lewis created a pool-house kitchenette for Galerie’s House of Art and Design and spoke about wanting every aspect
to function like a piece of art that tells a memorable story. That’s not just poetic languagehe was describing a design strategy:
treat surfaces, materials, and objects as expressive components rather than neutral backdrops.
Notice what happens when you design this way: you stop choosing tile because it’s “safe.” You choose it because it carries an idea.
The backsplash becomes a visual thesis statement, not just a wipeable plane behind the sink.
Institutional Work: Design as Opportunity, Dignity, and Care
Beyond residences, Lewis has been connected to projects with institutional purposelike designing a foundation building for the
education of young women in Khartoum, Sudan. When design serves an educational mission, “aesthetics” can’t be the main event.
Function, safety, comfort, durability, and cultural responsiveness move to the front of the line.
This is where his stance becomes especially clear: if a space changes how people learn, gather, or see themselves, then design is
operating as a form of care.
The Research Side: Interiors Affect Health, Behavior, and Belonging
Leyden Lewis’s approach feels intuitive, but it also aligns with a growing body of design thinking that treats interiors as
people-first environments. Professional organizations increasingly highlight evidence-based design and the measurable impact
of interiors on human experience.
Well-Being Isn’t a TrendIt’s a Design Responsibility
Organizations like ASID have emphasized that design affects lives and spotlight projects that use evidence-based methods and
post-occupancy research to improve outcomes. This is the “design is not just décor” argument, backed by study and evaluation:
what you build influences what people do and how they feel.
Similarly, the WELL Building Standard (administered by the International WELL Building Institute) frames buildings and interior
spaces as tools for supporting health and well-being. The point isn’t that everyone must chase a certification plaque; it’s that
the interior environmentair, light, comfort, sound, materialscan be designed intentionally instead of accidentally.
Indoor Air Quality: The Invisible Design Choice
If you want a humbling reminder that interiors are more than aesthetics, consider indoor air. The EPA notes that indoor air quality
can be improved through source control, ventilation, and filtrationand that people spend a significant amount of time indoors.
Translation: that “new rug smell” is not a personality trait you should be proud of.
Lewis’s work often involves materiality and craftsmanshipchoices that can support both beauty and healthier living. Even without
turning your home into a laboratory, you can treat air and materials as part of design, not separate from it.
Universal Design: Beauty That Includes Everyone
Universal design, originally articulated through the Center for Universal Design at NC State, is about environments usable by all
people to the greatest extent possible without specialized adaptation. This is the opposite of “design as status signaling.”
It’s design as hospitality.
In a “more than aesthetics” framework, universal design isn’t a compromiseit’s an upgrade. Wider clearances, intuitive layouts,
better lighting, and safer transitions can make a home feel calmer and more elegant because it’s easier to inhabit.
Neuro-Inclusive Thinking: The Mood of a Room Is Real
Contemporary design conversations increasingly include neuro-inclusive approachesrecognizing that environments can influence mental,
physical, and emotional well-being. You don’t need a neuroscience degree to apply the basics: reduce harsh glare, create predictable
circulation, use calming acoustics, and give people options (quiet corners, active zones, flexible seating).
If Lewis’s “vibration” language sounds subjective, this is the objective version: rooms shape nervous systems. The details matter.
How to Apply Leyden Lewis’s “More Than Aesthetics” Approach at Home
You don’t have to be on a designer show house roster to design like it matters. Here’s a practical, non-precious way to adopt
the mindset.
1) Start With the Feeling, Not the Furniture
Write three words you want the space to deliver: “rested,” “focused,” “welcoming,” “playful,” “unbothered.” These become your
decision filter. If a piece is gorgeous but makes the room feel tense or cluttered, it’s not a matchno matter how many likes it gets.
2) Design the Senses: Light, Sound, Touch, and Movement
A room can be visually perfect and still feel wrong if the lighting is harsh, the acoustics are echoey, and the pathway from the door
to the couch requires an obstacle course certificate. Layer your lighting. Add softness through textiles. Make circulation intuitive.
Let the space be lived in without fighting you.
3) Let Art and Objects Carry the Story
Choose a few meaningful anchors: a piece of art, a sculptural chair, a vintage object, a family photograph framed like it deserves
respect. The goal is not clutter; it’s narrative. A room with a story feels “designed” even when it’s simple.
4) Use Materials That Age With Dignity
Lewis has spoken about welcoming patina and using approaches that don’t try to “control nature” (especially in environments like beach homes).
You can borrow that by choosing finishes that improve as they wear: good wood, forgiving stone, textured fabrics, surfaces that don’t panic
at the idea of real life.
5) Treat Inclusivity as a Design Feature
If universal design principles help a space work for more bodies and more seasons of life, you’re not “medicalizing” your homeyou’re making it
smarter. Add a handrail that looks intentional. Improve night lighting. Choose hardware that’s easy to grip. Design for future-you, who will
one day be very tired and holding three grocery bags at once.
Conclusion: The Room Is a Relationship, Not a Screenshot
Leyden Lewis’s belief that interior design is more than aesthetics is ultimately a belief about people. Spaces aren’t neutral. They can hold
memory, shape behavior, support health, and communicate identity. When design is treated as cultural workrooted in context, art, and human
experiencebeauty becomes deeper than “nice.” It becomes meaningful.
And that’s the real flex: a home that doesn’t just impress guests for five minutes, but supports you for years.
Experiences: What It Feels Like to Design Beyond Aesthetics (500+ Words)
Designers who start thinking the way Leyden Lewis describesabout “vibration,” essence, and contextoften notice something surprising:
the most powerful moments aren’t when a room looks finished, but when it starts behaving better. The space becomes easier to live in,
and that ease shows up in tiny, everyday wins.
One common experience: you begin to “hear” a room before you decorate it. Not literally, but you notice sound the way you notice color. Maybe
a dining area echoes so loudly that family dinners turn into accidental shouting contests. When you add a rug, curtains, and a textured wall
element, the volume drops and conversations soften. Nobody says, “Wow, great acoustic strategy.” They just linger longer at the table. That’s
design beyond aesthetics: behavior shifts because the environment supports it.
Another experience: you stop shopping for objects and start curating meaning. Instead of buying four identical vases because a trend told you to,
you choose one piece that holds storymaybe a ceramic bowl from a trip, a painting by a local artist, or a chair with sculptural presence.
Suddenly the room doesn’t feel “empty,” even if it’s minimal, because it has a point of view. The home feels like a person rather than a
showroom. This mirrors Lewis’s emphasis on art as central, not decorative.
Designing for context can also feel like learning a building’s personality. In an older apartment, you might discover that the most “modern”
thing you can do is respect the original proportions and let new elements play in harmony. You stop fighting quirks and start designing with
them. A weird nook becomes a reading corner. A narrow hallway becomes a gallery. The building stops being a problem to solve and becomes a
collaboratoran idea Lewis has echoed when describing architecture, location, and history as essential inputs.
People also report a shift in how they think about comfort. Comfort isn’t only a plush sofa; it’s the pathway to the sofa. It’s the lighting
that doesn’t glare off your phone at night. It’s the drawer pull that doesn’t pinch your fingers. It’s the guest who can find the bathroom
without asking for directions like they’re in a maze. When you apply universal design thinkingclear routes, intuitive layouts, better task
lightingthe space starts to feel effortlessly “high-end,” because ease reads as confidence.
Then there’s the emotional experience: a room can become a form of self-respect. When you design a bedroom for rest (not just for matching
pillows), your sleep routine improves. When you design a kitchen for how you actually cook, you waste less time and get less frustrated.
When you design a living room that supports gathering, people show up moreand stay. These are measurable lifestyle shifts, but they also
feel like something softer: being taken care of by your own environment.
Finally, designing beyond aesthetics can change how you define “success.” The goal becomes less about applause and more about alignment.
You know a space is working when it fits the people inside it, reflects their culture and story, and supports their daily lives without drama.
It doesn’t need to scream to be unforgettable. It just needs to be true.