Crystal Coast Home Realty

Chinese Art can be good for re-decorating:

Jennifer Farrar Associated Press 12/29/2007

The holidays are over and it's time to put away all those shiny baubles.  But if the thought of un-decked halls gets you down, it's time to rethink the de-decorating process.

Taking down the tinsel can mean de-cluttering and freshening for the New Year if you incorporate some principles of feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of creating a good energy flow, or chi, in the home.

Feng shui practitioners promise to enhance health, harmony and financial gain.

Or, for the skeptics, it just looks nice.

Rick Brightly's bedroom was stuffed with college dorm furniture and his love life was stalled when he got a make-over from HGTV's "Fun Shui."  He traded his decor in South Brunswick, N.J. for a more sophisticated, minimal and uncluttered feel.

Brightly says since then, even his love live has picked up - althought he doesn't attribute it to any hocus pocus.

"If you're excited about the place where you spend a lot of time, you portray yourself differently, and people react differently to you when you're out in the world," Brightly says.

The basic principles of feng shui include placing strategic representations of five natural elements around your room - earth, water, fire, metal and wood.  Modern feng shui divides your room or home into a grid of nine equal areas, called a bagua map.  Each area corresponds to certain values in your life, such as love, career and spirituality.

LET IT GO

Begin the clearing out process as you take down your tree.  Are there ornaments still in the boxes that you haven't put out in years?  Are you holding on to a family decoration that you don't really care for?

Give these things to a relative, donate them to charity, or throw them out.  Feng shui consultant Carol Olmstead says you can make room for new, positive energy by getting rid of "emotionally loaded things that you don't really use anymore."

NO TO CLUTTER

One strong temptation after the holidays is to save and re-use packing boxes and wraping materials, especially with current concerns about recycling and the environment.

Olmstead, whose business is Feng Shui for Real Life, urges her clients to resist that temptation.  Otherwise, she says, the clutter sends the message that you can't get moving into the future.  She calls it the difference between "a prosperity consciousness and a poverty consciousness."  Expect that you'll be able to buy new boxes and packing materials when you  need them, and make room for new things to flow into your life.

But if you really want to honor the planet, go ahead and save your packing cartons, says "Fun Shui" host Stephanie McWilliams, who feels it is perfectly OK to save utilitarian materials.  Organize them out of sight by putting them in labeled containers.

GIVE IT AWAY

The same approach works for your closets and the kids' toy box.  If new clothing and toys come into the home during the holidays, it's a perfect time for family memebers to work together to give away some older garments and toys that are no longer being used.

Let your children slelect a few toys they don't play with any more, or clothing they've outgrown.  Explain these will not be thrown out, but will be given to a younger child who can't afford new things.

CLEAN IT UP

Give everything in the room a thorough cleaning, both experts suggest.

This is also a good time to repair things, McWilliams adds.  Don't keep broken objects around to haunt you with your failure to mend them.

She recommends that you energetically wipe out the old and make room for the new: "Reboot your house like you reboot your computer."

WHO MOVED MY CHI?

The number three is considered auspicious in feng shui.  There are three sides to a triangle, a powerful symbol representing the fire element, which works to increase your passion, emotion and wealth, Olmstead explains.

To replace the triangular Christmas tree, Olmstead recommends following the Chinese tradition of moving 27 things, which is nine times three.  The moves could be as simple as moving a lamp from the center of a table to one side of it, or as large as rearraging the sofa so you can look out the window.  Or clear off one shelf, one drawer or one end table.

McWilliams also suggests re-evaluating the position of your furniture and "marrying" some pieces in new ways.  Create seating arrangements that are open and welcoming; face chairs toward the couch to symbolize conversation, for instance.

ADD NATURE, COLOR

Now that the glitter is gone, look around and ask yourself whether it needs more permanent greenery.  This can include real or artificial plants, or pictures of plants or outdoor scenes.  Both experts suggest bringing in more nature by adding a lush new plant, placing it in the health area of your home if possible, to ensure a healthy beginning to the year.

"Feng shui tells you to take a look at how your life changed with the colors and shapes of the holiday season," says Olmstead.  "See what changes you could make in your decor afterwards to sustain that feeling."

If you miss the bright colors from your decorations, consider adding some touches of new color now.  Use pillows or candles with the holiday colors you most enjoyed.

BALANCING ACT

There's no need to overdo it with decor changes, though.  Change - and feng shui - is all about balance.

McWilliams advises that you consider what is out of balance in your room, including color and texture.  If you feel stressed, she says, remove the fire colors such as pinks, reds and purples, and bring in soothing blues and greens.  If the winter blues and light deprivation get you down, she suggests sunny yellows.

This is also a good time to adjust your lighting.  McWilliams tells her clients to unblock and open windows and curtains and bring in full-spectrum light bulbs.

"Every single object in your home is speaking to you," McWilliams says.  "Let's just pray they're saying something nice!"

On the Net:

Feng Shui for Real Life

Evolving Arts

"Video on Feng Shui on HGTV

Today's Topic: Chinese Culture vs. Feng Shui

QUESTION: You say a house surrounded by water is good, what about a house sitting on a higher ground than other houses and overlooking the city.

ANSWER: Typically, the higher the elevation the more vulnerable a property is to the elements - Wind and Water - Feng Shui. However, if your home is located in an armchair position (protected), you should be able to enjoy breathtaking views without as much maintenance as one located on top of a hill/mountain.

QUESTION: Is there a remedy for bed placement if it needs to be on a wall that is not good Feng Shui for the owners (it is not facing the door but is in a bad direction for them).

ANSWER: Yes. If it's impossible to angle the bed inside the room, then you can angle yourselves in the bed.

Many of our clients' sleep at the foot of the bed, diagonal and/or sideways in bed to honor one of their best directions. However if in doing so your head is exposed (without support), you will want to protect it with pillows, a screen or nearby wall.

QUESTION: How many steps should the stairs have so that the occupants are lucky?

ANSWER: This is a Chinese cultural question; it has little to do with Feng Shui. However, LUCK is an aspect of Feng Shui, thus the placement of stairs within a property is more important than the actual number of stairs.

QUESTION: I'm redoing my kitchen. A friend who is also a real estate agent advised me not to put the sink back under the window because of poor Feng Shui. My contractor says it will be much more expensive to move the sink where she suggested across the room plus I like being able to look out while I'm cooking or washing up. Is a sink under a window all that bad? Is there a remedy I can make to counteract the bad Feng Shui while keeping my sink under the window?

ANSWER: There is no problem with a sink under a window, again this is a Chinese cultural belief, that has little to do with Feng Shui principles.

QUESTION: Where should I hang a world map in my office room - 2 other colleague sharing in the same room?

ANSWER: In the HEALTH or KNOWLEDGE gua area.

QUESTION: When is the best time for my sister to construct an apartment? she plans to do it on August 8,2008.

ANSWER: The best day and time for construction is based on the main wage earner's date of birth.

QUESTION: My office building is located on a lower ground between two bigger buildings, how can I overcome the negative effects of this location?

ANSWER: Questions like these are covered in our certification course. The answer is...it depends. It depends on how high the other two buildings are in relationship to yours. If they are not too much higher, it's actually a positive not a negative as they provide the green dragon and white tiger for support. If they are dramatically higher, there is little you can do to remedy the downward chi-pressure. You are welcome to call our office if you are experiencing problems.

QUESTION: What can I put in my office so I can be promoted?

ANSWER: No amount of Feng Shui can get you promoted if you are not proactive, knowledgeable and a "real" asset to your company. However you can lift your personal energy to help you become more of the above, by balancing the five elements and decorating your office in accordance with Feng Shui principles so that it supports your goals and intentions.

QUESTION: I am confused with the feng shui ba gua reading and the compass reading. My house main door is facing South compass 157.5 to 202.250, which represent Fame & Reputation but the ba gua chart (from internet), represent Career & Path which is North. Which should I follow?

ANSWER: You are referring to two different approaches (schools) of Feng Shui altogether. You will want to pick the one that resonates the most with you. Trust your gut (intuition).

QUESTION: I live in Las Vegas... any advice on ways to improve my winning at casinos?

ANSWER: The fastest way to improve your finances is to stay out of casinos altogether. However if you are not able to do this then you will want to at least "face" one of your best directions when gambling. This will not guarantee you "wins" but it will help to improve your personal energy... hopefully enough to help you know when to quit while you are ahead!

QUESTION: I love my home on an island near Seattle, and have enough money to stay here till next summer. Do i put it on the market now or see how to raise money to stay here.

ANSWER: A balanced home in Feng Shui is not just a structure; it's a living energy that feeds our mind, body and soul. Thus if you "love" your home, it's worth working out a plan to keep it.

Courtesy of Suzee Miller

www.fengshuiplaza.com