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

Fall 2010 Color Trends; Triple Threat; to Feng Shui or Not?

Fall is a beautiful time of year, with the leaves changing color, cool breezes and scurrying squirrels burying nuts for the season. I’m looking forward to crisp air, some apple cider and possibly some pumpkin carving, too!
The signature colors of this year’s fall season are gold, brown, burgundy, cream and green, all colors that reflect the current trend of bringing nature indoors. It seems as though people want to simplify their lives these days, and this can be seen in the color palette being used, especially in bedroom where calm colors are so effective. These color trends can and should also be applied when Staging a house for sale, not only through paint, but also with area rugs, pillows, linens, and accessories.
To Feng Shui or Not?
Incorporating some Feng Shui principals into Home Staging is an effective way to create interesting spaces by using color, shape, and texture along with proper furniture placement. Light, clean, calming, balanced, and spacious are the words that come to mind. It doesn’t really matter if you personally believe in Feng Shui or not, what matters is that your listing gets positive feedback and an offer. By combining Feng Shui practices with proven Staging techniques, a house can be totally transformed and made to stand out in the crowded marketplace.

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

Feng Shui in Real Estate

Using the principles of Feng Shui can be very effective when preparing a home to sell. Yet modern American homes were not built with Feng Shui in mind and often have issue that need to be overcome to achieve the proper Chi.

For proper Chi (good energy), a home should look out over an open area (river, ocean, lake) and have natural and/or manmade landscapes. If no natural open area is present, creating one will do as well. Here are some suggestions:


• Install a bright light (porch light or gas light) at top of driveway near house

 

• Create Movement near house by:

• Hanging wind chime near house
• Placing a fountain near front door
• Hanging a flag near front door

Are you trying to sell your home in the Ballantyne / Charlotte NC area? Call Carol from Ballantyne Home Staging to learn how Staging and using the principles of Feng Shui can assist you in selling faster and higher!

 

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui means “Wind, Water,” and is referred to as “The Art of Placement.” What that really means is that it is the Art of creating spaces that are comfortable, attractive, and harmonious with their environments.

Feng Shui is rooted In Chinese History, and has 2,000-5,000 years or more of followers. Feng Shui is known as an organized philosophy, with its earliest recorded writings appearing during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

Wind & Water are key factors in assessing quality of movement and energy in a space

The philosophy behind Feng Shui is that the Earth is a living thing, and everything is alive. Each and everything is Interconnected and changing. Traditional Feng Shui combines land forms, magnetic influences, 8 house, birth dates & flying stars

Ancient Feng Shui masters studied slopes of mountain ranges & curves of rivers to identify “dragon veins” of land. They used the dragon veins to locate auspicious sites for emperors’ tombs believing that future generations would prosper. Certain configurations of hills, valleys & rivers considered fortunate, others unlucky, and over time these same principals were applied to house sites.

Think of the way mountains appear. Sometimes you can make out a pattern that appears similar to an armchair. This “Mountain Armchair” is an ideal location to locate a home (or tomb) because it is protected and secure. With the mountain in back, and the smaller hills on each side with gentle slopes, Feng Shui dictates that a home should be situated in an open front that overlooks a river, lake, or ocean.

Today Feng Shui solutions most often sought on existing structures after we’ve moved into existing house, so the traditional site selection & orientation is nearly impossible. Things like power lines, appliances, dense housing, cars parked on streets, and steel structures all can cause issue for Feng Shui, and likely will create different compass readings throughout a house.

Modern practitioners use Feng Shui in different levels and ways, but the goal is same: To assist in achieving success in all areas of life.

Would you like to learn more about how Feng Shui can help you sell your home, please contact Carol at Ballantyne Home Staging at 980.322.5825.


www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

Feng Shui in Home Staging

So many people have heard of Feng Shui (pronounced fung schway) but just aren't quite sure what it's all about. I was invited by Karyn Lindsey of the Mingle School of Real Estate to discuss the basics of Feng Shui with about 100 Charlotte area Realtors this week and gladly accepted.

Often referred to as the "art of placement", contemporary Feng Shui - aka western Feng Shui - is based on the philosophies of traditional Feng Shui and makes improvements or enhancements to problematic areas using manmade items such as windchimes, mirrors, and crystals.

As a Professional Home Stager I use Feng Shui all the time, especially the 5 Elements. These elements - water, wood, fire, earth and metal, are all represented by materials, shapes and colors and should be in balance in every space.

Balance is absolutely key in Feng Shui, and is the principal theory of Yin & Yang. These two opposites cannot exist without one another and must always be in harmony.

When considering what Feng Shui improvements to make to any house, room, or even a house lot, the Ba Gua chart identifying the 8 areas of influence is consulted. But with today's home styles, shapes & sizes, often times you find yourself making the very best Feng Shui decisions by reverting back to the use of the 5 Elements to balance rooms and areas.

For more information on the use of Feng Shui in Home Staging or decorating, contact Carol Schulenberg at carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com