In this episode of the say86 Hospitality Podcast, Tim's joined by award winning interior designer and Emotional Architecture™ founder Klara Goldy, whose career spans more than 30 years across interiors, property, hospitality and project delivery. We explore why great hospitality design needs to go far beyond how a space looks, considering how customers and teams actually experience it, how people move through it and whether the original design works when a venue is busy and operational.

Klara explains the thinking behind Emotional Architecture™ and why successful design starts with understanding the intended outcome before a project begins. We discuss everything from lighting, acoustics, colour and customer flow to staff facilities, storage, infrastructure and budgets, as well as the expensive mistakes that can occur when these practical elements are considered too late. For hospitality operators, the conversation highlights how thoughtful design can influence dwell time, guest experience, working conditions and ultimately commercial performance.

We also explore Klara’s fascination with colour and its relationship with light, mood and human behaviour, including how subtle choices in materials, textures and colour palettes can completely change the way a restaurant, hotel or other hospitality space feels. It’s a fascinating conversation about the relationship between people, place and design, and why the best hospitality spaces are not simply those that look impressive, but those that genuinely work for the guests and teams using them every day.