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Dear friends,
I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer. As the fall season approaches, most of us will be slowly putting away our outdoor toys, and turning more and more to the world that lies indoors. While that can feel like a sad transition at first, know that those wonderful elements with which we played so happily in the summer months can work in our favor in subtle but extremely powerful ways as we shift our attention inside.
As many of you already know, elemental energy lies at the very heart of Feng Shui. Even the most basic approach to this ancient science will include the use of items such as candles, bamboo stalks and wind chimes to represent fire, wood and metal respectively. While the placement of the correct element in the correct sector of the house will have a positive impact, no matter how it is accomplished, there are certainly tasteful and not-so-tasteful ways to do this. After all, the clumsy insertion of a Feng Shui remedy – such as a wind chime or a crystal or a fish tank – into a room where it makes absolutely no aesthetic sense, will not only disturb your design scheme, it will disturb you! And that’s not great Shui.
Good Feng Shui can be Good Design
Due to growing client demand, Reiko Design has greatly expanded its full Feng Shui interior design services in the last year. There is a clear reason for this: people are starting to see that this is a very effective way to integrate the power of Feng Shui into a space. Basing your interior design scheme on the principals of Feng Shui, is literally like weaving the power of the elements straight into the fabric of your home or office. The correct element can be worked into an area of the house in so many creative ways, utilizing color, shape and texture to achieve a layering effect that greatly enhances the power of that particular element. And all of this can be accomplished without excessive use of “new age” knick knacks. You want your home or office to look sophisticated and tasteful, not like a cheap take-out restaurant.
So, if some re-decorating is in the cards for you right now, and you want these changes to have a positive impact on your health, wealth and relationships, we heartily encourage you to contact us. However, even if you aren’t interested in a major overhaul, below you will find several helpful tips that you can use on your own. The following suggestions give you a sense of how you can be creative with your own Feng Shui remedies and enhancements. No matter which element you are working with, there are always attractive ways to insert it into your space. For instance:
Feng Shui Design Tips
- Bamboo is often used to represent wood element in Feng Shui, and while certain houses may be suitable for live bamboo stalks, this is by no means a necessity. Bamboo can be represented by the color green, and also tall, thin shapes. Note the glass tile backsplash in the picture to the left. This was an easy way to bring the wood element into a small bathroom, without having to crowd the space with plants. While the precise placement of the various elements will always depend on the Feng Shui calculations of that individual building, wood element represents health and vitality, and therefore it is a good element to insert into a kitchen.
- Traditionally, Feng Shui experts recommend using a fountain or aquarium to represent water element; however this simply isn’t practical in all cases. In fact, sometimes these items would look downright weird, depending on the design scheme. No problem; there are plenty of creative ways to bring the water element into a space without actually involving water. One way to do this is through the use of the color blue, or else to include artwork that depicts water. However, even these solutions may not fit the subtleties of a particular décor. Again, there is a way around this. Wavy, fluid patterns also represent water element, and these can be cleverly worked into a space, no matter what color scheme you are working with. Note the picture to the left of a front door with a water-like pattern in the glass. This was a very effective way to bring water to the entrance of the home, which is one area that generally always benefits from water element.
- Fireplaces or candles are the most obvious ways to bring fire element into a space, but it’s worth noting that simple triangular shapes also represent fire. If you combined that shape with the color red, this would act as very respectable substitute for actual fire. Note the picture of the rug to the left. In the correct setting, a bold rug of this nature could definitely act as fire element. Since fire represents fame and success, it never hurts to place a little fire element in your office or study.
Going Deeper
The list above is just a small sampling of how you might be creative when you insert the elements of Feng Shui into your home or office. Where this all starts to get truly powerful is when we “layer” the element into the space, attacking from all angles. For instance, in a room that needed fire element, we might add a dramatic candelabrum, strong overhead lighting, and subtle triangle patterns in the curtains or upholstery. This would greatly magnify the fire element in the space, and make the Feng Shui enhancement that much stronger.
Hopefully you found this list of suggestions helpful. And also, do consider working with us on any interior design needs that you may have in the coming months. Truly speaking, there is no more powerful advantage that you can give to your physical space than to design it with the principals of Feng Shui woven straight into the decor.
Have a wonderful Fall!
Sincerely,
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