Feng What???

Feng Shui is a practice used to create spaces that are attractive, comfortable, and harmonious with their environment. Translated, Feng Shui means “wind and water,” and the principles provide practical guidelines for Home Staging® and decorating. 

I run into a lot of people who are interested in the practice which is often referred to as “acupuncture for the house” or “the art of placement”. Conversely, I’ve met a few people who don’t believe in it at all. Feng Shui is not an ethereal idea. It is rooted in thousands of years of history, and has evolved through the years to provide practical applications of principals in today’s housing environments.

The philosophy is simple: everything is alive, interconnected and changing. It is about achieving balance and success in all areas of life.

The most commonly used principals of Feng Shui when Staging or decorating a house are the command position and armchair arrangements for furniture placement; the Five Elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood - which are represented by colors, shapes & materials that must be balanced; and the positive, free flow of Chi (energy).

Ancient Feng Shui masters studied the land, the slopes of mountain ranges and curves of rivers to identify what they then referred to as dragon veins. They used this technique to identify auspicious sites for emperors’ tombs believing that future generations would prosper. Certain configurations of hills, valleys and rivers were considered fortunate, others were considered unlucky. Over time, these principals were applied to housing sites and eventually to interior spaces.

The command position refers to an area in a room that has a commanding view of the space. Look around and determine where in a room you would be able to see everything going on – people coming in or leaving, all activity – this is your command position. Generally, this will be along a solid wall and/or the tallest wall. The armchair arrangement refers to having your largest piece of furniture in a room such as a sofa or bed in the command position. The piece is then balanced on each side with similarly sized and shaped items that are slightly taller than your primary piece of furniture, such as end tables or night stands with lamps. The final touch is to hang wall art above the furniture. The overall result of this arrangement is an outline similar to the shape of an armchair. By combining the command position and armchair arrangement, which are both based upon the ideas of those ancient Feng Shui masters seeking auspicious burial sites for their emperors, is to provide balance and protection.

The five elements are water, wood, fire, earth, metal. Each element creates or enhances another and each element can destroy another. This is why balancing these elements through the use of shapes, materials and colors is a practical application of Feng Shui in today’s world.

Energy: Chi is considered good energy represented in all things. It flows freely meandering like a river, flows down hill, and can sometimes be directed. Sha Chi is negative or harmful energy caused by blocked, constricted, improperly directed, or too much & too forceful energy. Yin represents the passive principals in nature and is associated with femininity, while Yang represent the active principals in nature and is associated with masculinity. They cannot exist without the other and must be in balance.

There are a variety of tools available for those who want to incorporate Feng Shui into their lives:

• Color. Used to create balance and is brought into a room with wall art, accessories, area rugs, and lamps.
• Live plants and flowers represent life and abundance. From a practical viewpoint, live plants can also absorb moisture in areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. The best plants to use in these areas are upright growing.
• Water features are used for their calming effect, and the moving water attracts Chi. Water features represent wealth and prosperity, and are often used in an entrance area, a home office or outside near the front door.
• Mirrors and crystals. Used to attract, slow down and redirect Chi. Be careful to not place a mirror incorrectly as this will have the opposite effect of attracting negative energy.
• Mixed materials. By mixing woods, metal, ceramic, and glass you can create both balance and an impressive room!

  http://www.ballantynehomestaging.com/ | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com