FALLING Into some Fabulous FENG SHUI  by Pamela Farnsworth Smith IIDA

I think I worked feverishly all through the Autumn season into the Holidays so this Blog Post is late.   It was such a FUN subject matter post though, that I just had to finish it up with the photos and post it here with my belated apologies. 

It's Autumn, or Fall as we knickname it, and time to think about rearranging our rooms to gear up for Fall and Winter seasons and the oncoming holidays as well. 

FENG SHUI works for every season; and actually may be a good design checklist at the beginning of each season to make our living surroundings more comfortable, functional, more joyous and prosperous at the start of every quarter of every year.   Seeing as it is Fall though, let's focus on "Falling into some fabulous Feng Shui".   

I first have to share my own experience with FENG SHUI.  Back in the SF Bay Area Peninsula in the late 1970's and early 1980's, I thought I was at the top of my design career game.  Little did I know that I was in the lst Quarter only!  After my Design Classes were over, and my business was humming along,  it seemed I had learned so much in such a short time.   I worked from the center of my spiritual and intuitive center on all my designs.  A bit embarrassing to say, I ate, breathed and drank interior design every minute of every day.  I could not go anywhere without redesigning a friend or relative's room, visualizing a better doctor's office as I sat in their lackluster lobby, or creating a new sign for a local restaurant and then writing a brand new menu for all the meals they  might serve.  I was obsessed with my craft.  My "design energy" was alive and on warp speed.  It fed me a joy which I then shared with anyone who wanted to hear more about it.  Balance, harmony and color flow were always on my mind.  Reaching to the heavens for inspiration on new projects was my silent non-spoken mantra.   I had not read a book about Feng Shui yet and it was the late 1970's.  I was too busy working hard and keeping up with my young life.  To my surprise (as I would learn later after reading and loving my first Feng Shui book), I found that I had been unknowingly letting "Feng Shui" flow out of my own intuitive center, by introducing just the right spatial concepts, color or design elements,  placing them in perfect balance with the room or creating focal point artwork for my client's personal enjoyment. We all have that ability to feel the good Feng Shui when we see it, because we're all programmed for good flow, balance, harmony and success in life.  Feng Shui applies to so many different fields of work.

There is so much to Feng Shui including much technical information.  There are many books out there at this time.  Here,  I will just share the three principles which were introduced to me through my favorite little book, "Home Design with Feng Shui A-Z" by Terah Kathryn Collins.  These are verbatim and in quotes below by this wonderful author, Terah Kathryn Collins:
 
1) " Everything is alive with Chi "   ---  "We also choose our belongings much more carefully, knowing that everything is imbued with living energy...."  and "We want to be surrounded by possessions "who" strengthen our sense of well-being all the time."  and "When you design your environment to affirm your life, you are opening the pathways for happiness, health and prosperity to take up residence with you, and you're creating your environment to be your personal paradise".

2) " Everything is connected with Chi" --- "We are also intimately connected to every single "thing" that surrounds us."  "So in the spirit of good relationship, it's crucial to simplify, organize, and properly house our possessions - including the ones in garages, basements, attics, and closets."

3) " The Chi in Everything is Changing" --- "When we fully join the dance of change and "let it happen", we grow in wisdom and experience, and we allow our homes to reflect our changes."  "There's a Chinese saying: "If you want a change in your life, move 27 things in your house", "When you alter your home in a positive way, you bring positive changes into your life."

See, she is great and her book is a timeless treasure to have on your "home design" shelf.  I do have a few more thoughts to share here about Feng Shui and my work experience with it.
 
The physical nature of real life experience and living environment changes affect your feelings, values, states of mind, your priorities and subsequently your decision making and future courses of action.  If I could give a client a serene place to come home to after a harried day's work, then I believed I was making a difference for them.  If I could address all the multiple functions they needed in that sewing room or dual spouse office space, provide ample practical storage in budget conscious style and still keep the room "clean and clear of clutter", I felt I had done my job.  Lastly, if I can continually be aware of what makes my clients come alive themselves (their likes and dislikes in styles, subject matters, accessories, colors, shapes, sizes, etc) and also what comforts them in the evening such as low lighting, candles, music and images on their walls, then I know I have designed with the alive energy, flow and harmony of Feng Shui.


In the end, clients (me too!) want to have warmth, creature comforts, a space to think and dream, organized carefree living, their favorite colors, and a place which supports them on as many levels possible to personally express who they creatively are as unique individuals.  Finally, what we all want, as one of my favorite movie actresses, Sandra Bullock says in a famous movie (do you remember the one?) is "World Peace".  In this case, our own world peace within our own four walls.


Happy New Year 2013
Blessings for World Peace and Goodness.