Most interior designers don’t keep a chainsaw in their tool bag, but it’s a standard accoutrement for 24-year-old Josh Amatore, founder of Punk Shui Design. It takes one visit to his apartment to understand the aesthetic he’s going for. In it are a tufted leather couch sawed roughly in half, a 1974 Schwinn 10-speed flanking the doorway, and an overturned dresser that doubles as a computer chair. “You can get really tied down in the same design habits,” says Amatore, a former set designer. Punk Shui is about “breaking out of traditionalism and becoming more aware of our environment.”

Chaos is neither the goal nor the effect, however. Amatore works with clients—mostly upscale young couples looking for a shake-up—to decide just how much broken tradition they can handle. Everything is deliberately placed to force clients to interact differently with their abode, and once he’s put the anti-Zen smackdown on a space (his projects range from hour-long consultations to weeklong overhauls, and his fees vary), there is something strangely serene about tiptoeing through it. “It’s not at all about being an obstacle course,” he says, though visitors are advised to use caution while touring the space.

Instead, the infusion of new energy, Amatore contends, makes for more productive living. For the blocked writer, frustrated composer, or other stalled artist, Amatore recommends a temporary Punk Shui makeover. “Turn your place upside down for a day or two,” he suggests. “This type of environment is really conducive to creativity.”