Episode 13: Dr. Toby Israel (Founder of Design Psychology) — Decoding the Hidden Psychology of Home

Why do some spaces instantly feel right — while others never quite do?

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Dr. Toby Israel — environmental psychologist, founder of Design Psychology, and author of Some Place Like Home and Designing Women's Lives — to explore how our earliest experiences of place quietly shape the homes we choose, the spaces we create, and even what makes us feel like we belong.

Together, they unpack the idea of an environmental autobiography: the hidden story of childhood places, family environments, and memories that can still influence our design choices decades later. Instead of asking what makes a place beautiful, this conversation asks a different question: what makes a place feel like yours?

In this episode:

What Design Psychology is — and why psychology can become the primary design toolEnvironmental autobiography and the idea of an environmental family treeWhy people often recreate — or reject — the homes they grew up inHow unconscious place memories shape layouts, colors, and objectsWhether Pinterest, algorithms, and AI are disconnecting us from real preferencesHow renters can still personalize temporary spacesWhat traditional “belonging” metrics may miss about emotional experience of placeWhy two people can experience the exact same place completely differently