interior design: INTRODUCING FENG SHUI TO YOUR HOME DESIGN

Feng shui design means you create an environment that has the best energy to support the specific activity, or activities intended for that space.

Feng shui can be used in designing your home with the goal of creating a loving, supportive, fun and happy space. Design tips used in feng shui are slightly different than traditional ideas. But, using feng shui, will create a balanced, harmonious home to enjoy.

The benefits of Feng Shui are – feeling of empowerment, good health, increased self esteem, increased energy, and awareness of synchronism. Feng Shui is also related to the furnishings, plants, color palette even your halls, to name a few. All these together strive to make a productive environment.

For example, your home office needs an active, vibrant energy of success, while your bedroom will need a soft, sensual energy. You can achieve the desired energies by following basic feng shui principles.

Your first feng shui requirement is to clear the negative or old energy residue from your space and create a strong and clear energy foundation.

What does that mean on a practical level? It means you have to rid your home of clutter. Living in a cluttered home makes no sense, from the feng shui point of view.

We all need good air quality and good lighting. These two elements are essential for good Chi, or good feng shui energy in your home.

So, if you have done all the preliminary work; your house is now clutter-free (or almost clutter-free), you have good air quality and good lighting, you are now ready to start your feng shui design.

Now it's time to define the bagua, or the energy map of your home. The bagua of your home will serve as a blueprint, or a clear map as to what colors are used in specific rooms, what images are best in your home, how to position the furniture for best energy flow, etc.   The first feng shui requirement is to create a strong and clear energy foundation.

Create a strong, welcoming "landing space" for energy. From a modest side table with a small lamp to a big round table placed in the center of your hallway with a flower-filled vase on top - there are many good feng shui choices to welcome Chi, or energy, into your home. If your space is limited, even a good quality entry rug or special art even a strong wall color works.

Color is one of the easiest ways to shift the energy in your space with feng shui.

Each color is an expression of either: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. The elements are used in specific areas according to the feng shui energy map of your space, or as above Bagua. Choose the feng shui colors according to the energy you need and bring them into your space, they could be one bold wall, or through art or accessories.

Next, think about fend shui products you may want in your home. Once you define your need for specific feng shui products, you will realize that good feng shui products are really easy to find. Possibly a water fountain, a Buddha sculpture or painting; just be sure that any feng shui products you bring into your home contribute to its good energy and compliment the look and feel of your home.

When designing your home with feng shui, it is important to focus on the big picture (your whole house or apartment), as well as "zoom in" into each specific area of your home in order to create the best feng shui energy in each room.

This is really just an introduction to Feng Shui, you may need further information (which you can easily find on the internet) or perhaps hire a feng shui specialist.