Feng Shui Interior Design

10/17/2016

Earth Feng Shui Element Colors

WATER ELEMENT - EASE AND ABUNDANCE. A harmonious feng shui water element will bring a refreshing energy of calm, ease, purity and freshness. Water element is also the ancient symbol of abundance, thus a potent feng shui cure for wealth.
Water is the feng shui element of North bagua area of your home or office. East and Southeast bagua areas also benefit from a strong water element.
Water element colors are: Blue and Black

10/17/2016

Want to sell your home faster? These simple Feng Shui tips will help attract the right buyers to your home.

When I get questions from home sellers about how they can use Feng Shui to sell a home, I explain that a few strategic Feng Shui improvements can increase the value, emotional appeal, and marketability of your house and solve design and structural challenges, especially in a slow real estate market.

1. Mark the Spot. Ask your real estate agent to place the “For Sale” sign to the right of the house, since people naturally look to that side when they approach a home.

2. Clear the Way. Clear away dead plants, vines, shrubs, and branches that block the main pathway so buyers have a clear route to the front door.

3. Greet Buyers. Place two healthy plants or flowers in attractive dark blue planters on both sides of the front door to act as a welcoming threshold to "greet" potential buyers.

4. Clean and Refresh. Clean the front door, repaint if the finish is cracked, old, or faded, add a fresh new doormat, and make sure the doorbell works.

5. Make a Good Impression. Display your Realtor’s cards and flyers inside to the right of the front door, standing upright in racks rather than flat on a table or counter, so they are not symbolically “laying down on the job.”

6. Go Clutter-Free. De-clutter the entire house, paying special attention to the kitchen, closets, and garage to show buyers there is room for their possessions.

7. Help Buyers Visualize. De-personalize the home by removing family photographs and personalized items so buyers can visualize where they will place their own family furniture, decorations, and artwork.

8. Deck the Walls. Remove any art that is dark, sad, or lonely, and make sure everything you display has colorful, friendly, and positive images.

9. Improve the View. Create a beautiful view by cleaning all windows until they sparkle and dusting all the doors and around the doorframes.

10. Get Ready to Go. Pack up five of your most treasured possessions and seal them in a moving box as a symbol you are ready, willing, and able to move!

04/27/2016

Feng Shui in the Kitchen

1. Feng Shui in the Kitchen

In the Chinese feng shui system, the kitchen is considered one of the key rooms in a home, and being the place where food is prepared to fuel and sustain us, the kitchen represents nourishment and prosperity. The design, placement and setup of the kitchen is said to influence prosperity and health.

It's important that the cook be in a commanding position while working at the stove, preferably facing out into the room toward the door. Many kitchens, however, have stoves facing the wall, so in order to correct this, feng shui consultants often recommend hanging something reflective like a mirror or some decorative aluminum over the stove. Also, if your kitchen is very small, a properly placed mirror can bring in more light and visually expand the space.

Another solution is to use a cooking island, as this will put the cook in a position to see what's going on around her and also opens up the work surface available to prepare food. I often recommend buying a rolling butcher block with shelving if there is not an island in the kitchen and positioning it so that the person preparing the foods can engage in what is going on around her.

2. The Stove

My preference is a gas stove for the obvious reason that a flame is so much easier to control and it is a more natural element to work with. Whatever stove you're using, in feng shui, it's recommended to rotate the burners you use as the stove represents prosperity and this will ensure your money supply will come from various sources—I'm down with that!

3. Kitchen Colors

Your kitchen should be an inviting place, but not overwhelm you with bright colors. Fire and water elements are active in the kitchen, so it's best to stay away from fire colors like red and orange and create balance with cooling colors like white, pale green or blue. I also find pale yellow brings in a little touch of sunshine, which is always uplifting. The color yellow corresponds to the solar plexus chakra, where a major part of the digestive system is located, so it can promote healthy digestion.

4. Kitchen Lighting

Light has a huge influence on our health and sense of well-being. Of course, natural lighting is always optimum, but it's important also to bring in light in the healthiest way possible. Good lighting is essential in a kitchen—as well as being functional, it can also add ambiance. I love dimmer switches, as I can have my lights bright when needed, then can turn them down to create a more romantic atmosphere. It's a good idea to have lighting fixtures on various levels, like under-counter lighting for local areas. Being subjected to fluorescent lighting for extended periods is not optimum, as it tends to flicker and can cause eyestrain, headaches and stress the nervous system. If using fluorescent lighting, it's best to use full-spectrum bulbs.

5. Fix It or Dump It

I have seen people hold on to old pots or pans that are scratched or have handles missing or kitchen gadgets that have outlived their use-by date. Broken items create negative energy and, if they can't be repaired, are best replaced. Keeping your kitchen clutter-free is vital for health and easy workflow, so get rid of anything you don't use. The kitchen is not a place for memorabilia. This is especially true if your kitchen is small.

6. Living Elements

Fresh plants or flowers create a good energy—even just a bowl of fresh fruits on the kitchen counter. If you don't have a space to have an outdoor garden, it's a great idea to create a window box with fresh herbs growing. As well as giving you the satisfaction of adding something that you've grown yourself to your dishes, it creates a nice, fresh energy in your kitchen.

7. Smart Workflow

Set up your kitchen in a way that's comfortable for you to work in and allows for easy workflow. Make sure the items you use most are accessible and items that you just use on occasion can be stored in shelves or cupboards that are harder to reach. I like to have a little stepladder or something I can stand on so I can reach the higher shelves when necessary. I always have a tub of sea salt close to my stove and seasonings and utensils that I use regularly within easy reach.

07/17/2012

The feng shui use of the flowers symbol is based on the same universal feeling that flowers evoke in all humans - a feeling of beauty, grace, and a delicate, alive sensuality.
Alive flowers are sure the best choice for your home, as they bring a strong healing energy; but images of flowers or high quality silk flowers are often used in feng shui, too.
In addition to the energy of beauty and grace, flowers also bring a flourishing, good luck and numerous blessings, quality of Chi to any home.
Feng shui-wise, attention is often paid to colors, numbers, as well as the symbolism of specific flowers.

Peony
One of the most sensual flowers with a delicious scent, the peony has long been used in feng shui as a cure for love & romance. This especially applies to a couple of pink peonies. The symbol of peony is often considered a metaphor for female beauty. Some feng shui masters do not recommend having the image of a flowering peony in an older couple's bedroom in order to prevent affairs with younger women.

Orchid
This beautiful flower is considered a classical feng shui symbol of fertility. The orchid bringing the energy of an untainted natural symmetry, it has also become a symbol of a quest for perfection in any areas of one's life. Abundance, perfection, spiritual growth, beauty and purity - with such powerful universal symbolism attached to it, no wonder orchids have become a very popular house plant in the West!

05/04/2012

Spring Cleaning Your House: 5 Easy Feng Shui Tips!!!

Spring is the season of renewal, manifestation, celebration and falling in love, of course! Now is the time to take those bold steps and manifest your dreams. A good spring cleaning of your home can do wonders for your personal energy; it will nourish and strengthen you. Feng shui, as always, can help with a variety of easy, powerful tips for spring cleaning your home.

The keywords are spring cleaning and decluttering; and the goal is get rid of everything that does not serve you anymore.

•SPRING CLEANING TIP # 1: If you are looking to improve your health, get rid of all the items that are cluttering and blocking the energy flow in your kitchen (especially your cupboards and the freezer.) The state of your kitchen is the state of your health, so do yourself a favor and thoroughly clean that kitchen!

De-clutter the refrigerator; clean the stove and all the pots and pans. Let go of all harsh chemical kitchen cleaners and go for natural ones. Clean out all the drawers, surfaces, light fixtures, etc - create a fresh pathway for strong vibrant Chi to flow and nourish your energy.

•SPRING CLEANING TIP # 2: Bring three new pots with vibrant feng shui green plants to refresh the energy of your space and symbolize, as well as ground, the energy of new beginnings. If you plan to place them in the kitchen, go for lush and aromatic herbs, such as basil, rosemary or mint. Focus on your front entrance, as well as your kitchen, as both are strongly connected to your health.

•SPRING CLEANING TIP # 3: Thoroughly clean and clutter clear your bedroom and your bathroom, get rid of anything that you haven't used in the past 6 months. Clear the space under the bed, clear the windows, refresh and re-decorate for spring both your bedroom and your bathroom.


•SPRING CLEANING TIP # 4: If you would like to welcome a new love relationship into your life, make space, and I mean actual, physical space, for this new person to be in your home. Clear out your closets for a better flow and more space. You literally have to create an open flow of energy in your home to be able to attract and manifest more of what you are looking for. Spring cleaning time gives you great opportunity to do just that!

•SPRING CLEANING TIP # 5: Last but not least, be sure you understand the importance of space clearing and are comfortable with at least a simple feng shui space clearing session for your home. Better yet, find the time to do a major space clearing session; as spring is the best time for clearing stagnant energy in your home.

Clarify, purify and let go this spring season. Renew your home and renew your body. Step into a new way of being, and fill it with a happy and healthy energy of excitement.

Happy new and fresh beginnings, fun celebrations and precious memories to behold!

05/04/2012