5 Feng Shui Tips for Increasing Positive Energy in Your Home

Feng Shui is fascinating to me and I am interested in learning more about how to improve the energy in our homes through interior design. Today I am thrilled to have a Feng Shui expert give us some tips. 

Cristin Zegers {yep, spelled just like me!} is a Feng Shui Consultant and Mom of three based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. She believes that our homes are our havens and should embrace us, reflect us, and inspire us. Using the ancient practice of Feng Shui and her own intuitive guidance, Cristin strives to empower people with the knowledge they need to create spaces that nurture them and support the work they do within themselves every day.

{image source House Beautiful and designer Christopher Maya}

Think of that house you walk in to and you immediately feel at ease. We all know of at least one house like this. We can’t quite put our finger on it, but it’s welcoming and comfortable, and lingering for hours in this space just leaves us feeling good. Chances are this house has good Feng Shui. The words Feng Shui actually translate to wind and water—kind of like the unseen and the seen. A house with good Feng Shui has good flow, which is something that we not only see but we feel. 

Feng Shui has been around for centuries and the essence of this ancient practice is just as applicable today as it has ever been. No matter what your taste, budget, or decorating style, basic Feng Shui principles can be incorporated into your own home creating a space that embraces you, supports you, and leaves your family and your guests feeling energized and positive. 

Here are five key areas to focus on in your own home to turn your house into a haven of positive energy:

{image source House Beautiful and designer James Radin}

1. Deal with the clutter. Seen and unseen—remember? We can’t have overflowing closets and mysteries under our beds and feel at ease. Energy gets hung up in these places and therefore affects us internally. A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind, so start purging with abandon and see how much freer you feel.

{image source Marnie Rose and stylist Lauren Nelson}

2. If you don’t love it, set it free. Our belongings hold the memories and thoughts we attach to them. Everything you own should lift your spirits, and if it doesn’t, pass it along so maybe it can do that for someone else. You’ll be opening up space for something more spectacular to enter your life! So if you’ve been looking at that coffee table and cringing for years, here’s your permission to take it to the curb (or the donation center). You’ll be so glad you did. 

3. If it’s broken, fix it. Now. Feng Shui teaches us the relationship between parts of our house to areas of our life. A leaky faucet or broken stove could be connected to financial challenges. Wobbly table legs or unstable chairs could be indicative of unsupportive relationships. We need to treat our belongings like precious members of our family and take care of them. Clean, mend, tighten, polish—give your love to your belongings and they will love you right back in ways you may not even know. 

{image source Patrice Cowan Bevans Interior Design}

4. Put yourself in the power position. When you lay in bed, sit at your desk, and relax in your favorite chair, make sure you can see the entrance to the room. Having your back to the doorway leaves an unsettling feeling, like you’re not protected. Position yourself so you won’t be startled when someone enters. The only exception to this is the placement of your bed. Do not have your feet directly in line with the door of your bedroom. Even moving your bed one foot, so you don’t look past your feet and out the door, can make a big difference. 

{image source Palmer Weiss Interior Design}

5. Take a tour of your home from an energetic point of view. Where your eye goes the energy goes. Those comfortable, peaceful homes have meandering paths for energy to follow. Long, dark hallways and staircases are like shooting rapids for energy flow. Position your furnishings to support an easeful movement throughout your space. A clever use of mirrors can aid the auspicious circulation, as can light and color. Take a walk through your space and see what angles you can soften and paths you can slow down. 

Being mindful of these five Feng Shui guidelines in the arrangement and everyday inhabitance of your home can result in abundance you haven’t recognized before. Looking upon your place and your belongings with gratitude creates that positive glow you recognize. It makes people want to be there, and it’s an environment that supports your goals and dreams. Live in a space that reflects the life you want to live…then live it! 

For more information, please visit Cristin Zegers’  website & blog. Thank you Cristin!

How do you incorporate Feng Shui principles in your home today?

Design Trend: Elephant Home Décor and Feng Shui Tips

In the East, the mighty elephant is viewed as a sacred animal. As the largest land mammal, elephants are symbols of power, strength and wisdom. No wonder there is a surge in designer décor items inspired by this majestic animal. I am sure Babar and Dumbo are thrilled!

 Interior Design by M. Design Interiors

Looking for chic ways to incorporate this symbolic creature into your home?  Here is a round-up of some stylish and contemporary home accessories featuring the elephant. And pay attention to the elephant's trunk and read some interesting Feng Shui tips at the end of this post.

Elelphant Bank Jonathan Adler

 

 

Elephant fabrics on Spoonflower

 

Raja Elephant Napkins by Simrin

 

 Elephant pillows from Rikshaw Design

Elephant Eames Chair by Vitra

 

Two Elephants Rice Pillow by Koko

Elephant Salt & Pepper Jonathan Adler

Dylan Crib Bedding by Serena & Lily

Elephant Wallpaper Silhouette at Romp 

White Ceramic Elephant Side Table Tonic Home

 Safari Sighting Pillow, Elephant at Anthropologie

Ready to add an elephant figurine or pillow in your interior design? If so, here are some fun tips for those who follow Feng Shui principals:

"For good luck, protection and strength to the household, place a statue of an elephant, or a pair of elephants, at the front door," advises Asian Feng Shui in an article on Feng Shui Elephant Tips. "When elephants are used in such a way, they are referred to as “Elephants of Many Blessings.” These elephants should have their trunks facing upwards as that represents prosperity, good luck and victory, although elephants with their trunks facing downward represent longevity and conception. The direction of the trunk can affect the chi within the space, so it is important to choose an elephant that will bring about the energy you wish to have in your household or office."

Good to know... now off to check the direction of a little elephant figurine's trunk.

Cozy autumn interiors (real interiors!), and some easy feng shui ideas

I was recently introduced to Manoblue Interior Design & Feng Shui, and I wanted to share with you a few images from the portfolio which just really spoke to me. As you may know, I really like real, lived in images of homes over staged environments any day. They're inspiring because you know a real person lives there, and it just gives me hope!

I ADORE this bedroom! The fireplace, the tall pillar candles beside it, the wood bedframe, the corner window with the reading nook! This is my dream bedroom! Even better is that it's real and attainable.

This hall with the artwork is so welcoming. This is what feng shui is all about and why it makes so much sense.




See more at http://www.manobluedesign.com. Marie also has lots of helpful feng shui tips on her blog - such as this one, which I'll be reading, on bringing money!

Enlightened bathrooms - Serene and Clean

I've always been very intrigued by feng shui, but it seems so hard to figure out, so I never get too deep into instructions. I'm trying to give it another shot, as quite a few aspects of my life feel like they are in shambles right now - and I'm in serious need of some grounding. Have any of you employed or tried using feng shui in your home? If so, do you have advice for beginners like me?

For simplicity's sake - I'm taking small steps by starting with the bathroom.

Here are some simple starter tips I found on MessageNote.com (I had to do some editing as I believe it was translated from another language):

• Close your bathroom when you use it and even when you don't use it. It keeps negative chi energy from the bathroom from spreading across the house.

• If you have an opportunity to make a window in your bathroom, then do it! If you already have one, then you are lucky) Use your window and open it when it is possible.

• Toilet seats and doors should always be closed

• The bathroom is the place where you clean yourself, so it is important that your bathroom is kept clean. You will surely see positive response in your life.
*on a personal note - this so hits home for me. I cannot feel clean in a dirty shower...makes sense to me!

• Get rid of magazines that you don’t read, and organize those that you do. If it's clutter that you don't use - get rid of it! Rid the space of fashion magazines or tabloids that make you feel that you’ll never be rich, thin or beautiful enough. Replace them with books and journals that make you laugh, dream and rejoice.

• Aromatherapy. Why do you like some smells? Because they influence you and increase your mood. Put aroma oil or some good smelling candles in the bathroom. You can use different scents to feel different emotions. For example, if you chose floral scents like jasmine, rose, and carnation, it will invoke romantic mood. Green scents like rosemary , pine, and cucumber invoke courage. Citrus aromas like orange , lemon, and grapefruit stimulate the imagination. Spicy scents - ginger , cinnamon, and frankincense encourage self-expression. Do you want to explore your sensual side? Introduce musky scents like sandalwood, musk, and cedar to your bathroom.

• Repair anything broken in your bathroom. Fix the leaks or invest in a good plumber.

• The bathroom has a lot of water element and this is a vivid fact. You should balance it by adding earth elements, like stones, candles, rugs, earthly colors (sandy colors, terracotta, orange, ochre, yellow). The element of wood will also be a good addition. Soft colors are advised in Feng shui.
*another note - I read somewhere that candles are bad in bathrooms because water and fire are opposites, but I love candles in the bath! Any thoughts?

• Choose good textured rugs and towels.


Additional advice

• Clean the mirror. It reflects yourself. You don’t need to have low self esteem, so clean your mirrors. Don’t place a bagua mirror inside of your house. It has a very big power and can give you only negative effects if you use it inside of your house. (Bagua mirrors are to be placed outside your door to reflect negative energy away.)

• Clean out your medicine cabinet. Old, outdated medications are subtle reminders of unhealthy times. Rid your shelves of any expired pills, powders and potions. Keep only the ones you need, and stow those where they won’t be the first things you see each time you open the cabinet. Put preventative health treatments like vitamins in a more prominent place, so that you’ll feel a greater sense of control over your health.

• Add plants. The more natural objects in your house, the better you will feel. Choose a water-loving plant for the bathroom.








via Ideal Home

via Real Estate Co.


via Message Note





via Bathroom Gallery

A room of one's own - Creating your creative space

"As Virginia Woolf famously wrote, 'a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.' Well, we can't help you with the money part, but if you intend on doing anything creative, it's possible—nay, crucial— to create a room of your own (even if it's just part of a room).

When I was writing my novel, I was lucky enough to have a little closet-like room to set aside as my office space. No matter how chaotic my Brooklyn apartment (and life) got, my writing room could remain an organized, peaceful bastion. I'm superstitious enough to believe that the good vibes in this room made the novel possible.

Whether you're an aspiring novelist or a weekend watercolorist, here are some ways to create a room of your own:

•Choose your space. Maybe it's a studio out in some bucolic garden. Maybe it's a miniscule desk stowed in a bedroom nook. Either way, what's important is that this space feels good to you. Do you love or loathe natural light? Will you be too distracted around a lot of books or the television? Does one part of your house or apartment just feel better to you? If possible, try out a few different spaces. Find the one that works the best, and set up camp.

•Consult the masters. Stop beating yourself up over your writers' block. According to practitioners of feng shui, the placement of your furniture may be what's blocking your creative flow. It's a complex system, but here are the basics: clear energy-blocking clutter, and shift energy with color (red is invigorating, green encourages growth, etc). You might want to look up a feng shui map to determine which area of your home seems most auspicious for creativity.

•Go on border patrol. Expert organizer Molly Boren of Chicago-based Simplicity Works says to "define the space if possible: maybe with a curtain or even a rug, the way you would define another activity's zone within the living space." This works even if you don't have an entire room to set aside. Another way to delineate this space as somehow different? Boren highly recommends plants—"growth and life right there for the artist to soak up."

•To thineself be true. If you need a lot of room where you can spread out all your crafty projects and leave them overnight, it's extra important to have a worktable dedicated just to this. You don't want to use set-up and clean-up times as excuses. If you know you work best when actively blocking out distractions, maybe all you need is a laptop and a corner café. Remember that not everyone works best in his or her own home. It's all about learning what works best for you, and not judging it.

•It's clean-up time. Get rid of everything you don't need: old projects, other people's stuff, pieces of furniture or accessories irrelevant to the tasks at hand. Clutter is a great way to distract yourself and provide a built-in procrastination excuse ("Oh, I'll finish that sonnet, I just need to organize my tax returns first..."). It also blocks energy, in case you speak feng shui.

•Get organized. Even if this means investing in some shelving or a shopping spree at the Container Store, this is an important step. Organizing your space can actually alleviate stress and make it easier to focus and find time in your busy life to be creative.

•Eliminate distractions. For me, it helps to not have my laptop connected to the Internet while I'm writing. That way, I'm not even tempted to obsessively check my email or, ahem, browse the eye candy in dominomag.com's galleries. You know what distracts you. Get rid of it. (Wait, unless it's your spouse, or a child or something. In that case, perhaps politely asking them to leave is best.)

•Prepare your arsenal. If you are a visual artist, separate your paints, inks, and pencils into individual containers. If you're a crafter, set aside separate areas for felt, thread, googly eyes, and the like. Once you actually get to sit down and work on something, you don't want to have to spend a lot of time finding the tools you need just to get started. There are enough obstacles to making art; no need to create your own.

•Gather your totems. Surround yourself with meaningful objects that spark your creativity. Maybe this is an inspiration board collaged with images and sketches. Maybe this is a special souvenir or relic that conjures a creative state of mind or reminds you of what you want to create. The surface area of my desk is dedicated solely to a laptop, a playful and expressive lamp designed by Marcel Dzama, one of my favorite artists, and some totem-like objects: a glass globe of sand from White Sands, New Mexico accompanied me as I wrote my book which took place in the southwest.

•Remember, making space in your home for creativity is an important part of making space in your life for creativity. Now, get your space in shape and go make something. Good luck!"

Text by Amy Shearn


I couldn't agree with this article more!!! I just moved my desk and computers to our office space and I couldn't be happier. I still have some decorating to do - which I'm looking forward to, but I wanted to gather some inspiration first. I also wanted to ad, that by taking my computer and stereo out of my bedroom, I sleep much better. Also, since I now work in a designated office space, I am much more focused on the task at hand, because I'm not distracted by...well, my bed.

I am so envious of this workspace! I learned the hard way that for me, a large desk is an absolute must. It allows me to create stacks which is how I prioritize magazines, inspirational photos, and papers.

Keeping everything ordered will not only look nicer, but improve your efficiency.

Bright colors (like these sunflowers) are believed to help creativity. Especially orange!


I'm not crazy about this room, per se, but I do love the cork wall in the back. Great way to keep everything in sight if you're one of those "out of sight, out of mind" people




via Domino