Jay Shetty’s Netflix Podcast Studio Is "Swaggy" Enough to Welcome Oprah and Lucy Hale

This summer the global podcast phenom On Purpose hit Netflix. Now, an even bigger audience gets to see Jay Shetty, the author and life coach with some 65 million followers online, invite famous guests to sit down and talk.But sit down where, exactly? For the Los Angeles–based designer Mike Moser, hired to build out Shetty’s at-home podcast studio, it was not an easy question. “The first brief from Jay was like, ‘I’m in this space all the time.’’’ As much as Shetty wanted it to be den-like and inviting—and look beautiful on camera—he wanted to love looking at it, day after day. “The studio is actually in my home,” says Shetty, “so I wanted it to feel like a natural extension of it rather than a traditional set. I drew inspiration from boutique hotels, libraries, and the kinds of spaces where you naturally slow down…. The goal was to create an environment where people feel safe enough to share the parts of themselves they don’t normally reveal.”Jay Shetty in his podcast studio. To his left, Rosie Clements’s Calyx 2026 is a photograph turned into bubble wrap using a UV printer. “I think one thing that was huge for Jay was bringing in artists that had different perspectives,” says Moser. The job came to Moser in March. Construction started at the end of April and was finished three weeks later. “My team members were working around the clock,” Moser says. Throughout the studio, which started as a raw, dry-walled space, artwork adds a distinct and provocative voice to the 800-square-foot area. Two vintage Danish armchairs covered in mohair velvet by Designs of the Time take center stage. Between them is a round glass table by Courtney Applebaum with three jagged slabs for legs. On the floor, a Nordic Knots rug in deep wine plays off the blue replastered ceiling above. The impact is lavish yet hushed; welcoming yet sharply articulated.“One of the most meaningful moments was welcoming guests into the space for the first time,” says Shetty. “It was rewarding to see the studio become a home for meaningful conversations. It reinforced something we’ve always believed: The environment matters. Before a single question is asked, the space can set the tone for a conversation, creating an atmosphere that feels warm, intimate, and conversation-first.”Behind the guest’s chair are two contrasting works of art: a large-scale acrylic on linen by Liam Stevens (Untitled XXV) and a layered oil painting by J. Grant (Black and Blue). Between them is a vintage Fortuny lamp. It’s an arresting combination, but, more importantly, one that will be flattering to guests without flattening into a neutral backdrop. Designing a podcast studio was new for Moser, whose work is primarily residential. But he was excited about the opportunity to work with Shetty. Moser quickly realized that each choice he made had to do triple duty. Not only was the studio intended to welcome guests, and to appeal to Shetty’s personal aesthetic, it was the backdrop for a show. Launched in 2019, On Purpose features famous and influential guests—Michelle Obama, Lewis Hamilton, Selena Gomez to name a few—in conversation with Shetty. The topic is the intersection of wellness, personal growth, and contemporary culture. It’s considered one of the most popular mental health podcasts worldwide. In its first season on Netflix, which debuted in July, the lineup included names such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Jake Shane, Lucy Hale, and Camila Mendes. Not only did Moser and crew have to consider the way each element of the room’s design contributed to the whole, they had to imagine how a range of guests would look, and feel, next to each element, too. And ultimately, it had to work for Shetty. Like the red carpet—“it just looks incredibly good on Jay,” says Moser. “He’s swaggy as hell.”The walls, custom made by Moser, are paneled in bleached walnut. “Looking at places like Villa Borsani” for inspiration, Moser created protrusions for depth and definition, which also act as shelves for art, like a vintage vessel and gong. “I really like verdigris,” says Moser. “Patinated copper is so soulful.” “We used a lot of green in this space as a counterbalance to the blue and the red,” says Moser, to inject “a sense of nature.” And, he adds, “it’s such a friendly, warm color. Given the type of work Jay does—these are dead serious convos—it should be a space that’s inviting and warm.” Repetition Sobre Verde (2023) by Maria Yelletisch hangs above a vintage vessel sourced from JF Chen and a Just Andersen lamp.