The Feng Shui Way
Everyone seems to have something to say about feng shui, so we set out to simplify the feng shui philosophy (and see if it it was secretly at work in our home). Here’s what we learned.
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that suggests that by using specific colors, furniture placement, and elements (fire, water, air, etc) you can create a comfortable environment that makes you feel supported and at peace. Now there are different levels of feng shui hardcoreness. For example, certain experts believe that the wrong placement of a toilet can cause all your money to go down the drain while other less intense experts argue that feng shui is about practical solutions and worrying about a toilet won’t improve your day to day life. But after sifting through an abundance of rules and regulations (some easier to understand and apply than others), we discovered a few feng shui tips that are simple and smart for any space:
Rule #1: Create A Welcoming Entryway- Make sure your house is well-lit, the front path is clear, and there’s an easy to navigate walkway that leads to the front door. Your house will rise to greet you and your guests (and maybe even invite some good fortune).
Rule #2: Go With The Flow- By insuring that there’s an easy flow from one room to another (and that none of your rooms are cluttered unused storage facilities) you’ll ensure that you’re putting every square inch to good use (while putting your mind at ease in each space).
Rule #3: Live Au Naturale- No we don’t mean in a tent in the woods. Introducing natural elements like bamboo flooring and indoor plants can keeps things feeling fresh and energized in your home (and it’s good for the air quality to boot).
Rule #4: Stay Warm- White walls can be lonely and cold. Painting with a more nurturing color can bring more warmth into your home. But that doesn’t mean you have to paint every room orange, red, or yellow. There are plenty of warm neutrals and even some warm blues and greens.
We also learned that a few of the typical “rules” associated with feng shui aren’t necessarily true. Sally Fretwell, a published author on the subject points out that the whole red-door-attracts-luck-and-wealth saying is a total myth. “It’s really about vibrancy,” so alternate colors can work just as well. Another tried and true feng shui-ism is less controversial. All experts agree that removing clutter not only opens up your space but it unclutters your mind as well.
But Fretwell’s description of feng shui resonates with us more than any of her rules and regulations: “The main reason for using feng shui is to make your home more enjoyable to live in. It’s about making each room a room that you love to be in and creating good circulation and flow from one room to another.” We may not follow all the laws of feng shui (oops, we have a mirror in the bedroom- which is supposed to make sleeping difficult) but we certainly can relate to that quote. Loving your home and making it your own personal refuge is a worthy pastime. And a happy house is always nice to come home to.
All images courtesy of bhg.com
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Comments
Tag! Your it! Please go to this link http://ericaburnsdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/08/tag-your-it.html
& complete this little post. It is fun!
Erica
My house has been feng shui’d by a master. Along with general “rules,” your birth date, location of your home, and the year your home was built all play a part in the remedies you place around your house. For example, based on all the above, it was recommended that I have as little red in my house as possible. I know it sounds crazy, but when I moved into the house with all our old furniture (with predominately red accents) it just felt wrong. I was drawn to white, yellow and green/blue, colors I used to hate! This was a year before we had the house looked at, by the way.
Thanks for this quick intro to Feng Shui! Hey, I love the green/yellow house pictured in this post. The architecture is so much like our house and I wonder if you could tell me which BHG magazine or article it came from. I’d love to see if they have any more details about the house/yard, etc. Thanks!
Love your work, your photos and your ideas! I agree that the principles of feng shui basically come down to “clean, freshen, create a workable flow, rotate your stuff, add color, add some items from nature — and make your home welcoming to you, your family and your guests” And those principles really do work!
Jan at Rosemary Cottage