Feng Shui Design Made Easy

Feng Shui seeks to create environments that are in balance with our individual sense of harmony and serenity. It is the practice of understanding how the energy, the feeling, in our living spaces impacts and affects the quality of our lives. Feng Shui allows us to harness and use this energy to our best advantage, improving not just the aesthetics of our spaces but also the feeling of our spaces. Feng Shui, literally translated as "wind and water", is an ancient Chinese form of environmental placement. As Feng Shui has gained in popularity, it has continued to evolve and adapt, making it one of the oldest methods of holistic healing- healing through the environment. Living at home today means taking the time to create our own personal paradise through our choice of color, lighting, furnishings and accessories so that all aspects of our home meets our personal needs and desires. Color is not only something we experience visually, color is also something we feel. Color can make a room seem warm, cool, dark, bright, expansive, and intimate. Color can nurture us, creating living environments that embrace us with a sense of comfort, style, inspiration and beauty- which when combined, creates the ideal home. Color and light are wavelengths of energy, energizing us each and every day. Scientists have proven that different colors have different effects on our behavior. We all have favorite colors with happy associations and we also have colors we find depressing. The important thing to understand is that color is personal. We each like and resonate with our own unique combination of comfort colors. Your job is to determine which colors create that sense of comfort, welcome and happiness for you. Pay attention to colors that you adore, colors that make your heart sing, pay no attention to trends. This isn’t about following what others say is right; this about connecting to what feels right to you. What colors do you have in your home? Are they warm and inviting? Color is the quickest way to change the way a room looks and feels. Color can be used to create a sense of intimacy and warmth, especially when you use mid-tone colors in a range that you feel drawn to. What’s a mid-tone? If you look at most paint decks, they show several colors on each strip. The colors in the middle are mid-tones. Color is a wonderful way to pull together the other elements in your room. Don’t be afraid to use color…beige and cream are good colors to use temporarily, think of them as a safe harbor. And if you do use them, choose them because of their merits not out of a fear of color. Color allows you to embrace what is most comfortable to you, there's no downside. You can always re-paint if you want to! When you’re ready to incorporate color on your walls, choose colors that contrast with the other colors in the room while creating a sense of vibrancy and welcome. Some easy ways to choose a color are to look at the colors in your pictures, your accessories, your rugs and pillows. Is there an accent color you find you use a lot? Of all the colors in the objects in your room which one is the most delicious to you? If you could choose any color you wanted, which one would it be? Find that link between your eye and heart. I encourage you to step into that place of wonder, that place where you find yourself a little bit afraid and excited at the same time- remember, it’s just paint, you can always change it! When you do paint, consider using eco-friendly paint. All major paint companies now carry a wide range of colors in low VOC paint formulas. These paints are better for you and better for the environment. Don't be afraid to give one a try. We nurture ourselves through the choices we make. When our choices also benefit the environment, what we receive in return are homes filled with comfort, beauty and inspiration. The feeling of home can't be bought. When we focus on changes that nurture and support us as well as changes that support our environment, we fashion our life around sustainability, responsibility, comfort and beauty. Our homes shape us just as we shape them. What shape is your home in? Next month we’ll discuss how to transform your living spaces into spaces that literally hug you with comfort and style. Feng Shui Color Tips Green- a great color to use when you desire a sense of balance Brown, beige and earth tones- good when stability and grounding are desired Yellow- an uplifting color, good for creativity & inspiratio Orange- another uplifting color, energetic, creative, motivating Red- passionate and strong, a good color to use when warmth, motivation and a personal connection is desired Blue- a great color for relaxation, when calm comfort is desired Variations of these foundational colors will hold the energy of the color itself and/or a combination of the energy of all the colors represented within a particular color. For example: Purple holds the energy of both red and blue, Orange holds the energy of both red and yellow.