10,000 Blessings Feng Shui Blog

Feng Shui Meets HGTV Style Shopping Day

 

Do you love FENG SHUI?  Do you love HGTV? Do you love SHOPPING?

Then it’s your Lucky Day!!!  Because that’s what’s going down!  This day will save you TIME + MONEY by learning to shop for décor with good Feng Shui.

 Please join me for a super-fun field-trip where you’ll learn…

• How to decorate, re-design or stage your space with excellent Feng Shui

 

• The hot design trends NOT to do in your home

 

• Why it’s necessary to choose décor based on your PERSONAL Yin/Yang and Five Element assessments

 

• How to easily create a harmonious, healthy, happy and prosperous refuge for you and your family

 

• How to avoid bringing adverse energies into your home

 Friday, August 26 from 10am to 3pm

Ikea and Home Goods in Portland, Oregon with a break for lunch

Your investment of $45 for the CLASS and FIELD TRIP  includes:

• Three hours of hands-on teaching (I usually charge $54 and HOUR for personal shopping)
• A portfolio of materials including checklists, templates, color swatches, shopping resources and color photos
• Two pre-event assessments
• Morning coffee

 

Register here for this SPACES LIMITED event!

http://tinyurl.com/STYLE-SHOPPING-DAY

 P.S. Here’s a pic of a fabulous David Bromstad design from  HGTV’s “Color Splash”--but can you spot the Feng Shui “no-no’s?!

 

Feng Shui Fire in Your Summer Garden

 

 

(from the blog Alkemie)

 

 
(from www.marthastewart.com)

 

 
 
(from www.sunset.com)

The fire of incandescence and luminosity is almost here!  In nature as well as Feng Shui, the fire element is related to the season of summer when yang energies are at their greatest with both heat and long sun-lit hours as well as the mid-day hours when the sun is at its zenith.

Just like the flames of a fire, this particular chi is full of movement, joyful expansion, charisma, activity, passion and ecstatic bliss.  The fire element gifts you with dynamic enthusiasm, desire and passion as well as incredible joy, laughter and love.  A person with a healthy fire element will feel happy, compassionate, light and playful.

May these images inspire you to welcome the element of Fire into your garden this summer!

 

Make Your Own Modern Asian Inspired Lanterns

 

I saw this wonderful project on Martha Stewart's website and thought it's a fabulous idea for welcoming Summer and the Element of Fire...and it's so easy even I can do it, "Miss I Don't Do Crafts"!

These would be great for your path to your front entrance (Mouth of Chi); party or dining decor; or sprinkled in your garden in the Li (fame and recognition) gua or area of your back garden or patio (the back center area).

"You'll need 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheets of vellum paper in the color of your choice, chopsticks, and 7-day candles in glass vessels (sold at supermarkets). Sandwich the candle between 2 sheets of vellum, clipping the sheets together with 2 sets of un-separated wooden chopsticks 1 inch in from edges".

Feng Shui Your Party!

 

Host a happy, noisy and celebratory party which generates a tremendous amount of positive and auspicious energy! The advantage of being the host/tess is that your home is blessed with the happy chi even after everyone leaves.

 Here are some very simple ways to make your get-together bright with auspicious energy…

 Place tons of fresh scented flowers everywhere

• Have lots of glittering lights by using sparklers, lanterns, candles, scattered crystals, lotus votive holders, twinkling fairy lights and so on
• Serve an abundance of brightly colored, delicious and healthy food
• Shower loved ones with gratitude for their presence in your life with take-home favor that gives them the energy of happiness, health or prosperity
• Send sky lanterns up to the heavens with your wishes and prayers—it’s a breathtakingly beautiful sight!
• For your place settings, use color combinations that evoke good luck (red and gold); prosperity (silver and purple) or health (gold and green).
• Play uplifting music and dance dance dance!

  

 
 

 

Asian Design Inspirations: Hotels

 

Here are some of my favorite pics from hotels all over Asia which I use for design inspirations for myself and clients--enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pics above from the following hotel groups: Pan Pacific, Shangri-la, Banyan Tree and China World Hotel.

 

Beautify Your Office with Feng Shui

 

Thought I'd share some pics to inspire you all to bring some BEAUTY to your home office, cubicle or office at work.  PLEASE NOTE--these photos DO NOT represent good Feng Shui principles (poor desks with no modesty panels or solid tops, not placed in The Commanding Position; shelves pointed towards the desk; desks facing the wall; etc.), but they do suggest some ways to make things pretty which will DEFINITELY uplift your chi!!!

The above--great use of color.  Isnt' that the most elegant supply cupboard???  

 

Handsome guest chair,  table light,rugs and wallpaper in this room designed by Betsy Burnham.  Color and vitality!

 
From Martha Stewart--covering magnetic boards with pretty papers.

 
From designer Sarah Richardson, love the bulletin board covered with fabric and framed--great idea!

 

Covering floating shelves with pretty paper.

 
Also from Martha Stewart, putting wallpaper on door panels.

Hope these inspire you to make your office as beautiful as you can! 

Feng Shui Design Inspirations from Cherry Blossoms

 

In Feng Shui, spring is a wonderful time of year to adjust your chi with the beauty, color and scent of flowers as well as using the element of wood to encourage expansion.  "Tis the season of Cherry Blossoms--Sakura--and their fleeting beauty touches the heart.  Enjoy these  inspirations for  a spring re-design for your home. 

 

Love this wall paper--from www.decorpad.com

I have branches like these on my altar--so pretty! 

 

 

 

This would be so pretty hung on a bamboo pole on the wall...

 

 

A bathroom spa retreat!

 

 

 

 

Feng Shui and the Element of Wood in Decor

 
 

FENG SHUI + THE ELEMENT OF WOOD IN DECOR

The element associated with spring is WOOD—which governs our enthusiasm for living, growing, expanding and taking action for our desires and dreams.  It also offers flexibility and strength (like bamboo), warmth and generosity. 

You can increase the wood element in your home and office by adding:

• Wood décor such as vases
• Fresh, healthy, fecund round-leafed plants, especially in groups of 9 (great in your bedroom or in a path from the front door to the bedroom)
• A wall mural of a bamboo or evergreen forest (check out www.designyourwall.com or www.allposters.com for some great options)

Also, remove any excessive metal elements which can "cut down" the wood and your spring intentions, growth and renewal.

 

 
 

Feng Shui and the Color Green

 

FENG SHUI + THE COLOR GREEN

Green, the verdant color of scented pine forests, moist mossy rocks at the river, seaweed dancing in oceans, bowls of steaming matcha tea. The color of spring!

Healing. Nurturing. Relaxing. Restful. Rebirth. Uplifting.  Growth.

The perfect color for bedrooms, hospitals and healing centers.

The color of wood and money.

You can infuse your life with this green chi by:

• Wearing the color green in clothing or accessories
• Eating lots of leafy green foods, drinking green smoothies and sea vegetables, and drinking green teas (I love jasmine, myself)
• Hanging green Swarovski crystal spheres in your windows
• Painting a light green accent wall (very soothing in the bedroom); hanging green rice paper lanterns; or tossing green throw pillows

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting Lamps for the Lantern Festival

 

With the Lantern Festival arriving with the Full Moon in February 17th in the Year of the Rabbit, here are some inspirations for you to collect brightness and celebrate the auspicious good fortune!  See the separate post on various ways to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

The above pic from www.sunset.com shows an old-style Chinese lantern filled with fairy lights.

 

Here are lotus lights to float upon the water.

 

Lanterns hung amidst the blossoms of a spring tree.

 
Paper lanterns.  www.lunabazaar.com has a wonderful collection.

 
An image of candles in glass jars from www.alkemie.blogspot.com

 
 

Traditional silk lanterns.

 

Sending up sky lanterns which rise by the heat of the fire!  See a post on my blog all about how to send your wishes to the Heavens with a sky lantern.

Good Feng Shui on Glittering Tree at Jeffrey Allen Home and Garden

 
While visiting my treasured friends and clients at Jeffrey Allen Home and Garden last week, I was so taken with the beautiful display of  light.  In Feng Shui, light is yang energy and always lifts the chi. 

 Tip: if you have a store, boutique, restaurant and so on, use twinkling lights ALL year long, not just during the holidays!

Marvelous glittering chi on the trees designed by Allen Luong (who, BTW, goes to homes during the holidays each year and "does" your house for you!).  My favorite, the one with white lights, glittery branches, birds (which, remember, bring Good News in Feng Shui) and my favorite, the white lotus votive holder (use a battery votive for safety).  The photo just doesn't do it justice!

 

Oh, and here's a pic of one of the display windows (sorry for the glare, only had my cell camera on me)--wonderful glittery chrysanthemum, birds on branches and happy butterfly round a magnificant Guan Yin.  So beautiful. 

Go visit!

Glittering Crystal Lights of Swarovski Crystals

 

 

 

 
 
 

As those of you who've been following me for awhile know, I'm crazy for all things Swarovski.  Each of the lights above are made of Swarovski crystal and generate fabulous energy with their bright and glittering light filled with vibrant chi filled with the spectrum of the rainbow.

In Feng Shui we use crystal spheres as an adjustment for fresh chi, to increase light, to invite harmony, for protection,  and to attact energy to a certain area of the space, bagua or asppiration for your life.

 

 

The Metal Element in Contempoary Design

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Feng Shui, the Element of Metal shows itself in design through the shapes of circles, ovals and domes; the colors of white, silver and gold; and the presence of metal itself with silver, gold, iron, copper, steel and so on. 

If there is too much Metal element in a space, the room can feel cold, distant and clinical--and affect people in the same way, so be careful!  (You could use the element of FIre to help with this.) Used correctly, there can be the feeling of prosperity, light and inward reflection.

Ideally, all 5 Elements (earth, wood, metal, water and fire) would be present in each environment.

Looking at the photos above, see how you respond emotionally to each space.

Feng Shui Your Window Display

 

 
  
Flowers of the World in New York City (www.flowersoftheworld.com)  have the most extraordinary window displays which embody fabulous Feng Shui--here's why:

Light.  Color.  Beauty.  Movement.  The FIve Elements (earth, water, fire, metal and wood).

Plus, it's excellent business Feng Shui that they change out the display every single week--keeping the chi fresh and exciting for their customers.  Retailers, take note!
 

The Feng Shui of Lanterns: Yang Chi in the Yin Night

 

 

 

Feng Shui Design and Decor: Wall Murals

 
  
Personally, I'm a big fan of wall murals and have used them with great success in both businesses and homes.  I love that it's possible to bring the five elements inside a space as well as the beautiful presence of nature for folks who might be living in an urban area bereft of an uplifting view out their window--or without any windows at all!

Here we see the Wood Element used in Feng Shui symbolizing new beginnings, growth, expansion and vitality.  If you're feeling lethargic and unmotivated, Wood can be a great friend to you.  Found these pics at www.apartmenttherapy.com

Here's a small wall mural framed by bamboo pieces to create a 'view' next to a soaking tub.  I found this one at www.allposters.com

Feng Shui Design and Decor: Convex Mirrors

 

This is a great use of a convex mirror to not only expand the space, but to double the light from the windows opposite.  The gloss of the paint, electric lighting and shine of the vessels add to the sparkle of light.  Remember, we want lots of light in our homes--yang chi--to support our energy (especially those of us living here in the Pacific Northwest!).

Feng Shui Your Dining Table with a Spring Centerpiece

 

 

 

 

In Feng Shui, the dining table represents the bounty of the household it's important to create a tableaux of abundance and beauty, full and lush with fruits and flowers.  You can also hang a gorgeous mirror across from the table to symbolically 'double' your prosperity.  Now is the time to use the symbols of spring, renewal and birth such as birds, butterflies, eggs and the color green.  Have fun!

A Feng Shui Perfect Contemporary Crystal Chandelier

 

This photo of a most-wonderful modern Feng Shui perfect light cure--a Swarovski crystal "Star Nebuli" chandelier took my breath away when I saw it in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood shop called Collective (with a lovely Feng Shui-loving owner named Gail).

This would be ideal for folks who need a crystal or light adjustment in their home or business but with contemporary design.  For shopping details please visit www.collectiveinballard.com