by Nancy Wesson
Reprinted from The Austin Homesteader, 2001
I recently overheard a reporter laughingly describe a New York City boutique that that hired a Feng Shui Consultant to come in before opening day. He “hung a few crystals and mirrors around the place,” – and on the first day projected sales were exceeded by five hundred percent.
“Closet Consults”
Mistakenly, Feng Shui is sometimes labeled a mystical philosophy embraced by people who call the psychic hotline for dating advice. I’ve actually had “closeted” clients who had me consult “under-cover.” Representing myself only as a “space designer,” it was still clear that the people working in the business viewed my presence there as silly. Ironically, once the office was reconfigured, the very same skeptics were drawn to it like a magnet, along with everyone else. I might mention that this was accomplished by rearranging the furniture – not a crystal or mirror anywhere.
Practical Feng Shui
The reality is – no matter how skeptical, everyone is affected by the way a space looks and feels. Why do you go in some homes and feel comfortable and at ease, and others are unpleasant and make you anxious to leave? The same is true of restaurants, hotels, and retail businesses – go through your own list of favorites in these categories and think about how much “atmosphere” had to do with it.
Just “say no” … to dead stuff
Here’s another example on the most obvious level. You could sit down in someone’s living room and ignore an ugly coffee table – but a dead flower arrangement on top of it would bother you. You probably wouldn’t regard your own aversion to the dead flowers as a mystical experience – instead you would probably be wondering how it didn’t bother your host.
I’m guessing that you’ve already registered a visceral response to the dead batch on the left, in which case I’ve made my point.
If you were to analyze it further, there is clearly something more to the dead flowers than just aesthetics, which is why the ugly coffee table wouldn’t bother you in the same way. The fact is that a dead flower arrangement would have a negative effect on you and everything else in the room. The reverse of this concept is true as well. At some point you’ve probably walked into a place and felt instantly relaxed – Bed and Breakfast Inns are well known for accomplishing this effect. Is it just because the furniture is prettier than yours. Probably not. The most popular Bed and Breakfast Inns offer atmosphere, and customers pay top dollar to get it. And it’s about much more than the expense of the decoration. It includes placement, the symbolism in the artwork, choice of colors, traffic-flow, sounds, etc.
Integrating Self with Environment
For most of us, organizing and decorating a new home is a task we take quite seriously. We are trying to create our own space that makes us feel comfortable and content. What most of us don’t realize is that in some places in the world this is an art and a science, and in China this science – known as Feng Shui, has been studied and practiced for 5,000 years. Also known as “the art of placement”, it seeks to integrate the individual with his/her environment in a way that supports the individual emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
A Blend of Sciences
Feng Shui represents a blending of sciences including: ergonomics, psychology, quantum physics, and spirituality.
It addresses the psychology of light, color, sound, and air quality and the relationship of Quantum physics to intention. Mood, relationships, success, and all aspects of our lives are influenced by the things around us. Most of those things are much less obvious than the dead flowers.
A color that is soothing in one place can increase stress levels in another. Similarly, a color that is energizing to one person, might make another nauseous. What’s your reaction to the colors on the left? (Or did you have such a negative response to the fact that the paint brushes are dirty and someone is going to have to clean them, that you missed the color entirely?
Color
A color that is soothing in one place can increase stress levels in another. Similarly, a color that is energizing to one person, might make another nauseous. What’s your reaction to the colors on the left? (Or did you have such a negative response to the fact that the paint brushes are dirty and someone is going to have to clean them, that you missed the color entirely?
How about this one? Does it feel different? More organized, less confronting? I’ll bet you’re not mentally cleaning brushes now, are you? This is how a myriad of factors in our environment impact us viscerally and often so subtly that we don’t realize it’s the environment, not the person, the floor-plan, the lighting, etc.
The position of your bed can make the difference between restful sleep and being tired day after day. (See the post “To Sleep or Not to Sleep). A room that is dreary one day can be cozy the next, just by changing the lighting. Successful Realtors know this when they prepare to show a home. Turn on all the lights; play soft classical music in the background; bake some cookies. These are the simplest principles, yet have an immediate, dramatic effect and greatly increase the likelihood of an offer.
What Does a Consultant Do?
Contrary of the reporter’s comment mentioned above, a real expert will not hang crystals and mirrors all over the place. My consultations start with an analysis of your floor plan as it relates to the Feng Shui Bagua and an in-depth discussion of what you want in your life, followed by a review of how your home impacts those and what Feng Shui adjustments can be made. A good Feng Shui consultant works with not only the physical space, but emotional and spiritual aspects as well. The goal is always to help you bring your aspirations into fruition and to create balance.
Contrary of the reporter’s comment mentioned above, a real expert will not hang crystals and mirrors all over the place. My consultations start with an analysis of your floor plan as it relates to the Feng Shui Bagua and an in-depth discussion of what you want in your life, followed by a review of how your home impacts those and what Feng Shui adjustments can be made. A good Feng Shui consultant works with not only the physical space, but emotional and spiritual aspects as well. The goal is always to help you bring your aspirations into fruition and to create balance.
Addressing the purely physical space, the designer might suggest colors, fabrics and furnishings will the goal of selling a physical product. The usual Feng Shui consultant doesn’t sell materials, their product is knowledge and information. They will offer recommendations about what specific actions and elements to help you bring your intentions to life.
As the client, you’ll receive recommendations for colors that will create a balanced and harmonious environment, but you’ll be on your own with the paint chips. The consultant may also suggest a live plant, a lamp, or the addition of some other objects in the room, but after that it’s up to you. Finally, the difference between a decorator and a Feng Shui Consultant is the time involved. The consultant comes to your home and spends some time assessing what each room needs, then provides you with the recommendations. This process usually takes a few hours, but can extend beyond that according to the level of detail you choose and your budget. After that, you can implement the recommendations as time and budget allow.
Empowerment
My goal in a consultation is to offer recommendations in a way that imparts understanding of the process. Inherent in that approach is my desire to empower the client to use the information going forward..
When selecting a Feng Shui consultant, make sure they are trained and experienced. Ask about their references. You might also ask for some of their own case histories; every Feng Shui consultant worth their salt will have plenty of amazing results to tell you about. Ideally, the best time to Feng Shui your home is when you first move in. Your home really can have all of the “atmosphere” you might pay for in a Bed and Breakfast. Start enjoying it from the very beginning!