Feng Shui - BTSH Around The House Tip of the Week

The Ancient Art—Using it in Modern Times

Feng Shui (pronounced fung’-shway’)

Literally translated, means “wind-water”. In order to fully understand this ancient art, you would need to study for years, all aspects including it’s history and origin, to the various schools of thought and methods, to how to translate it for today’s modern living. I don’t pretend to be an expert, but as a designer, I have picked up several tips along the way, and truly believe that the basic principles of feng shui make great decorating sense.

The Basic Ideas

Feng Shui is essentially a method used to create harmony. It is a balancing of the energies, or Chi, to bless the home and bring good health and good fortune to those who live there. Chi flow then is the flow of these vital energies. The main goal in feng shui is to channel, or direct the Chi inside your home so that it nourishes all areas, and supports a good flow of Chi inside your body. Understandably then you would want to avoid anything blocking the Chi from reaching everywhere in your home. This sounds complex, but is really quite simple. Instead of imagining the energy flow, imagine a flow of water through your home. Where would it get stuck? Would it get blocked at the door, or perhaps the room is too cluttered for it to move about? To help to avoid Chi blockage, Feng Shui emphasizes the importance of decluttering. As well, you want to ensure that the entry to a room is not blocked by a wall or large piece of furniture. This of course makes good decorating sense as well. You want to be sure that a room feels open when you walk into it, and allows for a proper flow of traffic.

Now, while you want the Chi to flow freely, you don’t want it to flow out of your home, or flow through the home frantically, such as through hallways. Place obstacles that will slow down the flow of the Chi, while not inhibiting it’s movement. For example, if your front door and back door are aligned, place a round table in between to allow the Chi to easily move around it, but slow it down from heading directly out the door. Another idea is to add plants in areas that will redirect the Chi, as the Earth is an important element in Feng Shui.

Applying Feng Shui

Here are some basic techniques that you can apply when designing your home:


1. Keep the design free flowing, but avoid long hallways
2. Choose warm lighting
3. Place healthy plants with full leaves throughout the home
4. Avoid blocking entryways with furniture
5. Declutter and avoid over decorating with too many knick-knacks

Practice these ideas to all the Chi to flow freely for a warm, harmonious home.

Written by Shauna Lynn, Beyond The Stage Homes
www.beyondthestagehomes.com