Have you ever entered a beautiful room, but felt absolutely nothing? It's not you, it's the design. Chances are, the room is missing one very important ingredient: emotion.
Maybe the space is perfectly furnished, has high-end finishes, and thoughtfully selected textiles. And yet, it falls flat. It is polished, but feels impersonal. Complete, but not compelling..
To get a truly luxury feel, a room design needs to be more than just visually pleasing. It needs to be emotionally intentional.
Dining room designed by B. David Levine for Pasadena Showcase 2014. Ceiling mural by Hattas Studios.
At the Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2026, Hattas Studios was awarded a small 4-foot-by-4-foot upstairs closet. On paper, it was the most modest space in the home. We were excited to get started designing. But before we began, we returned to the question that guides every luxury design we create: How do we want people to feel when they enter this space?
The answer set the stage for what was to come next.
The Upstairs Hall Closet at Pasadena Showcase 2026, before Hattas Studios transformed it.
A Space Without Emotion Feels Like It’s Missing Something
So how do you want people to feel when they enter your space? Maybe you want them to feel calm. Or energized. Perhaps inspired or nostalgic. Knowing the answer will inform all of your design decisions for the room. You're well on your way to creating a space that feels luxurious.
There are many techniques to evoke emotion in your design. one of the most powerful ways is with color. Color sets the mood instantly. Before we register furniture or finishes, we feel color.
Sugarbug Dental, Camarillo (top left, orange); Primary Bedroom, Los Angeles (top center, green); Girl’s Bedroom, Malibu (top right, pink); Butler’s Pantry, Arcadia (bottom left, gray); Dining Room, Pasadena (bottom center, green); Dining Room, Pasadena (bottom right, taupe).
Want to calm the nervous system? Use soft greens. Create intimacy with deep blues. Help your guests feel grounded with warm neutrals. Looking for an energetic or empowering vibe? Go with bold hues!
For the Pasadena Showcase House, our team wanted to evoke a feeling of wonder, nostalgia and warmth. So we looked for earthy forest greens, with touches of warm oranges and pinks. We were given a large palette to choose from, thanks to a donation by Dunn Edwards. You can imagine how thrilled we were to find that Dunn Edward's Color of the Year for 2026 is "Midnight Garden"!
That said, color is only the beginning.
Art Reinforces the Feeling
Art deepens and defines the emotional tone of a room. Through color layering, brushstroke movement, scale, style and imagery, art turns mood into meaning. It informs visitors how they should feel in the space.
For the upcoming Pasadena Showcase closet project, our team is painting an immersive woodland filled with fairy tale vignettes. Visitors won’t just see a mural — they’ll experience a feeling of escapism. They’ll feel nostalgic seeing their favorite characters come to life. And they’ll feel a sense of adventure as they enter the enchanted woods.
VIDEO: Jeanine Hattas Wilson (CEO & Creative Director, Hattas Studios) and twin sister Julie Kennedy (Senior Art Director, Hattas Studios), tour the empty Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2026 to find a space that inspires them.
While this space is technically designed for a young child, it speaks to everyone who grew up with these beloved fairy tale characters. This connection makes this a space where any adult can feel like a child again.
The Art Should Reflect the Homeowner
True luxury is personal. When art is generic, the space feels generic.
When art reflects your personal history or childhood memories, the room instantly feels significant and special. For example, by including symbols from your cultural heritage or aspirations or your favorite landscape, you become connected to the room, for a meaningful and emotive space.
That is why custom art and murals are so powerful. They allow full control over how you want to feel in any room.
4 case Studies: Adding Emotion to design with custom art
1. THE ENTRY
Before: Perfectly finished. Immaculate. And yet, ignored.
Room designed by Janice Peters. Distinctive Decor. Mural painted by Hattas Studios.
After: By painting large watercolor flowers to the wall, the space evokes a bold feeling, making this space grand and inviting. Guests are guided through a visual journey. It feels artful and expressive—making it unique and memorable. The entry becomes an experience, not just a passage.
2. THE POWDER ROOM
Before: Quality fixtures. Neutral paint. Lacking any feeling.
Room designed by Samantha Williams, Samantha Williams Interior Design. Art curated by MaryLinda Moss, Source Art. Mural and faux finish painted by Hattas Studios.
After: By adding a hand-painted chinoiserie mural with the clients’ favorite flowers and birds, the room comes to life. It feels like an escape. The artwork dances around the room, giving a whimsical vibe. The space shifts from formal to unforgettable. In addition to generating a lasting feeling in the space, the hand-crafted work furthers the high-end feeling to match the rest of the luxury home.
3. THE KIDS’ PLAYROOM
Before: Standard paint color. Designer rug. Natural light. But missing a sense of fun.
Room designed by Michelle Bryant, PGK Partners. Mural by Hattas Studios.
After: By designing a space with nature and the kids’ favorite animals, the room inspires imagination. The many patterns and linework evoke energy. Adding the kids names to the rock-climbing tree makes it feel personal. And the soft colors keep the space feeling high-end. Now the kids feel that this is their space in the home. A place to be creative and go on adventures.
4. THE LOFT
Before: An old Victorian house in need of a lot of love. A grand exterior and strong bones. But the interior needed a vision that would keep the integrity of the home, and evoke an elegant, yet historical vibe.
Mural painted by Hattas Studios.
After: By painting rich landscape murals on all of the walls, the space feels intimate and special. The dark, monochrome colors make it feel calming and private. And the way the murals wrap around the architecture create a sophisticated feel that can only be achieved with custom work.
The Closet That Became the Most Talked-About Room
At the Pasadena Showcase, we are taking the smallest space in the house and giving it emotional intention. Visitors will step inside and feel wonder. Comfort. Nostalgia. We want guests to remember when they were kids listening to their parents read them stories before bed. We want them to feel like a kid again as they sit in the big comfy chair and search for their favorite fairy tale heroes in the mural.
Hattas Studios welcomed guests to the Empty House Party at Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2026. Guests toured the empty house before construction began. Jeanine and Julie shared the mural design for the room using augmented reality, for guests virtually to see the design at full-size in the room.
Luxury interiors are not defined by square footage. They are defined by feeling. If you're designing a space and want it to feel meaningful, layered, and unforgettable — start with emotion. Then leverage custom art to bring that feeling to life.
Follow Hattas Studios on Instagram to go behind the scenes and watch us
transform the Upstairs Closet into “The Enchanted Nook.”