Archive for the Feng Shui home
Homemaking is a term that may strike many of us as something women aspired toward when there were few other options. Unfortunately, this has caused many of us to move away from a connection with our homes and your home can be a home for your soul if you make the connection. Homemaking can help.
Homemaking is the art of making a house a home. We’re pretty aware of and perhaps pretty good at hanging pictures, buying into the latest decorating trends and colors and that does make a house attractive. But making a house attractive isn’t enough. Homemaking is about creating spaces that are filled with comfort and warmth: spaces that beckon you to enter and stay awhile, spaces that embrace us with a sense of belonging and security.
Sounds enchanting doesn’t it?
A home is many things, it’s the way a room looks, the way a room feels and the balance of light and color. It’s the way the furnishings are arranged, the objects we choose to surround ourselves with and where we choose to live. But most of all, it’s how personally connected we are to the spaces we inhabit.
It doesn’t matter if your house is big or small, in the city or in the country or what style of décor you prefer. What matters is that you take the time to create a space that embraces the spirit of your home and the essence of your true personality. When we take the time to connect to our personal spaces, and improve those spaces, we improve the quality of our life.
Connecting to your home isn’t about spending lots of money or buying a bigger house. Connecting to the spirit, the heart, of your home isn’t something you buy; it’s something you do.
As Jane Alexander states in Spirit of the Home, “Rediscovering the spirit of your home is about bringing the natural world into your space, giving play to all the elements and the life force they embody. It’s about allowing your senses full rein; filling your home with delicious sounds, and scents, textures and tastes.”
Making your house into a home takes effort. You have to be physically and mentally involved – just like you do in any relationship. For this is a relationship, and for it to work, for your house to fully embrace you and welcome you with comfort and love you must first do the same for your house. And when you do, the change will be perceptible; your house will change into a home that beckons you, that embraces you, that welcomes you. Our homes shape us just as we shape them.
Home is the ultimate expression of who we are. And homemaking is the art of making a home.
© 2012 Harmony Life Design®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Lifestyle Feng Shui™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
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Have you ever heard that mirrors are the ‘aspirin’ of Feng Shui? Well, for me, the fail-safe tool for many situations is COLOR!
Color is my favorite Lifestyle Feng Shui® enhancement. I use it everywhere!
Color is the fastest way to completely change the way a space looks and feels. You can create a space that feels e-x-p-a-n-s-i-v-e, or a space that feels intimate. You can create a space that feels warm or cool. You can use pops of color to accent and enhance any area of your home.
But, color doesn’t begin with the walls, or the art or the accents in your home; color begins with you. Your first personal environment is you, and color can work with you or it can work against you. Color can bring your energy up and make you feel good or it can deplete your energy and leave you feeling tired and washed out.
Today’s video is all about COLOR – it’s everywhere you look!
© 2012 Harmony Life Design®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Lifestyle Feng Shui™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
Challenges. Life can seem to be an endless series of them. Do challenges challenge you? Do you do your best to avoid challenges? Or, do you embrace the challenges life has to offer and learn from them?
I love a good challenge. In fact, in the spirit of lifetime learning I decided to learn how to make videos for You Tube. What’s challenging about that you ask? To jumpstart my learning curve, I joined a group of professional women and we embarked on a new project. (A very ambitious project!)
30 Women 30 Days 30 Videos
Everyday for 30 days 30 amazingly talented women are creating and posting videos sharing coaching advice, Feng Shui advice (this one is me!), social networking tips, marketing, business building tips and so much more!
I have to admit, the challenge of keeping up with this Challenge has been challenging. And I’ve done something each of you can do for the parts of your to-do-list that you control, give yourself permission to do what you can and let the rest go.
Life isn’t about perfection it’s about experience. And the best experience come when we’re authentic and when we give ourselves space to just be who and what we are, no judgment or negative self-talk.
Challenge, it’s a part of life, embrace it, immerse yourself in it and you’ll come out the other side stronger, smarter and wiser. I know I plan to!
I encourage you to check out some or all of the amazing videos, I guarantee you’ll learn something new for your work, for your life, for your home.
Ready for a little self empowerment? It’s as easy as standing tall!
© 2012 Harmony Life Design®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Lifestyle Feng Shui™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
I’ve got a confession to make, before today I have never looked at design blogs.
It’s true! I’ve never even searched online for one. But today my life has changed, I fell down the rabbit hole. I Googled design blogs and was amazed at the fantastic variety of information, tips, suggestions, and imagery that’s out there.
Everything you could possibly want to know about design or decorating or redecorating or even undecorating is available to you online! Design blogs can provide you with the perfect ideas and inspiration to use as you create your Feng Shui Home!
Fabulous product for windows and mirrored closet doors!
(for more visit http://www.decor8.com – one of my new favorite design blogs!)
Up until now researching different design and decorating ideas meant buying design books, magazines or going to stores and while all of those options are still viable; you also have, at your fingertips, a wealth of information online. You have online shops, websites and design blogs - it’s a plethora of information.
Too much information you ask? Never! You can never have too much information.
This is the perfect time to create your own mood board or design journal. (A design journal is a binder or notebook filled with images representing things you like for various rooms of your home.) Print or tear out images out of books or magazines, take pictures of what you see in stores, pull color samples, fabric samples, pieces of wallpaper, photos, trim samples anything that inspires you. And then put those images, those items into your design journal. Arrange them by room.
An example of a mood board I created for a client.
As you play with your journal rooms you’ll find a theme, a mood, a feeling begins to take shape and you’ll begin to become aware of your authentic self, who you are, what inspires you, what energizes you, what makes you feel like home. And from that feeling, that awareness you’ll be able to create your perfect spaces, in fact, your perfectly unperfect spaces!
The second of today’s favorite design blogs, http://www.designpublic.com
Your living spaces should continue to evolve just as you continue to evolve. Your home is a reflection of you, your inner world is reflected in your outer world.
A featured apartment from http://www.freshome.com
another fabulous design blog!
Embrace change. I think you’ll be happy you did.
Right now, I’m going back online and doing more research! Don’t forget to add Feng Shui Life and Style to your favorites.
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
Have you heard that bathrooms are negative or bad energy? Not sure? The questions below deal with common Feng Shui bathroom recommendations.
- Do you rush around making sure all your drains are covered and toilet seats are down?
- Do you insist on keeping the doors to your bathrooms closed?
- Do your friends think your behavior is a little extreme? OK, I’m just kidding around on that one!
If you’re aware of Feng Shui, then you have also undoubtedly heard something about bathrooms being ‘energy drains’. And I agree, if your bathroom is either an outhouse or a simple hole in the ground. But, if your bathroom is situated in your home (a true modern convenience and for me a necessity), and it’s clean, well appointed and uncluttered than most likely it isn’t an energy drain.
Bathrooms are not havens of bad or malevolent energy. Their purpose is to provide a space that allows us to clean and take care of ourselves. I, for one, am a big proponent of indoor plumbing and all it entails! I think bathrooms are a great asset and enhancement to the quality of our lives.
In fact, in addition to serving our basic needs, most modern day bathrooms also provide us with a place to relax, restore and replenish ourselves – whether that’s in the shower or luxuriating in a nice and relaxing bath. And anything that relaxes, restores and replenishes us fall under the Feng Shui enhancement category, not the negative energy category.
Bathrooms have come along way and the energy associated with them thousands of years ago simply doesn’t align with the reality of our bathrooms today.
A bathroom, like any other room in your home should be clean, well lit, and organized. And it should be a place that welcomes you with warmth and comfort; a place that provides balance while accommodating your needs.
My Feng Shui advice for today’s bathrooms?
- Balance the elements. (In Feng Shui there are 5 Elements, water, wood, earth, metal and fire.)
- Enhance the Bagua area the bathroom is in.
- Make it a place that welcomes and nurtures you. (you shouldn’t cringe at the sight of your bathroom.)
- If your bathroom faces into a main room it’s best to keep the door closed as the bathroom is a private space.
- And, just to be safe, keep the toilet lid down, The toilet is after-all a drain!
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
For this week’s blog post I’m sharing a question I was recently asked about Feng Shui and cleaning.
Do I have to clean my house before I do Feng Shui?
It is always a good idea to clean your home before you incorporate Feng Shui changes into your space. Cleaning your space removes old energy, resistence and stagnation and it makes space for the change you desire.
The energy of a place is created in part by the people who have been there, past events, past emotions, the energy patterns inherent in our style of building and of course, by the people living there now.
10 Simple ways to uplift the energy in your home
- Clean and vacuum
- Clear clutter
- Clean the windows
- Replace old, burned out light bulbs
- Open the windows; let fresh air flow into your home
- Spritz your rooms with essential oils (lemon, lavender, eucalyptus and pine are wonderful for this)
- Burn incense or use an essential oil diffuser
- Light a candle
- Add fresh flowers or a beautiful plant
- Play inspiring music
Your results are a reflection of your efforts, so get out the duster and vacuum cleaner and get started!
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
One of the main tools used in Feng Shui is the Bagua. The Bagua is a method of mapping a space by designating that certain areas align with specific energy. These areas are known as the Bagua life areas, gua’s, and the 8 Aspirations.
The Bagua is a template that is placed over the space being evaluated. This 
could be a home, a room, an office, and property or a yard. The Bagua is comprised of 9 sections, or life areas. (Click here to download a FREE Bagua map with instructions.)
The Bagua is a symbol representing change, it shows how energy moves in the world of vibration. Because energy moves in a predictable manner we are able to ‘read’ its movement within a given space through the use of the Bagua map.
There are eight life areas in the Bagua map, each area corresponds to a particular life energy. The eight life areas are: Career, Inner Knowledge, Family & Foundation, Abundance, Fame & Reputation, Relationships, Creativity and Helpful People. Health sits in the center position.
In Feng Shui there are several different interpretations of the Bagua, the version I use is an adaptation from Black Sect Feng Shui.
How do I place the Bagua on my home?
The Bagua is almost always positioned so that the front door to your home or the door to the room being evaluated is along one of the three front areas of the Bagua. (Career, Inner Knowledge, Helpful People).
To determine where each area is located, stand at the door of your home or the door of the room you are evaluating. As you stand in the doorway you should be facing into the home or room. The center front section is Career. The left front section is Inner Knowledge. The center left section is Family & Foundation. The back left section is Abundance. The center back section is Fame & Reputation. The right back section is Relationships. The center right section is Creativity. The front right section is Helpful People. And Health is located in the center.
Each life area has attributes that are specific to it: color, shape, elemental relationship and the energy of the life area itself. Through the use of the Bagua map you are able to determine where each life area is within the space you are evaluating. And then, based on the life area and the energetic dynamic currently present in your life, you’ll be able to see if there is a correlation between what you see and what you are experiencing.
For example, let’s say that you’ve determined that your Relationship area is in your guest bedroom and this room is full of incomplete projects and clutter. How might this be reflective of your life?
- It could be that you don’t have room for relationships (clutter).
- It could be that you have lots of old unresolved issues with past relationships (unfinished projects).
- And it could be that you’re not ready for a relationship and so the clutter in this room serves as a barrier between you and any potential relationships, others can’t get through to you.
These are just a few examples of possible relationships between the energy of your living space and the quality of your life experience.
Give the Bagua a try, you might be surprised at what you ‘see’!
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
Mirrors are a powerful tool in Feng Shui and in decorating. Mirrors are wonderful enhancements no matter how they are used. Mirrors can reflect a beautiful view, doubling the beauty. Mirrors can expand a space, making it seem larger and in this use, they are perfect for symbolically ‘pulling’ a missing Bagua area back into a home.
Mirrors can be used to push negative energy back – for instance if a home is located on the end of a ‘T’ junction a mirror can push the strong chi flowing from the street away from the home.
The reason mirrors opposite a door are thought to be negative is that the reflective value of the mirror energetically bounces the energy entering the home back out. If you have a mirror in your front entrance, this doesn’t mean you have to remove it or cover it up. If you do some of the suggestions below, your mirror will become a lovely and positive enhancement. 
If you can’t change it, recruit it!
- A mirror enlarges and expands a space. This can be great in entryways as entryways often tend to be small.
- Look at your mirror as a backdrop for a beauty. Place a large, green plant in front of it or to one side.
- If you have space, place a small 1/2 round table in front of the mirror and accent with a lamp or a flower arrangement. In this instance, the mirror doubles the beauty, creating a warm sense of welcome!
- If you already have a table or bench below the mirror, view the entire space as a composition, it’s the sum of the parts that makes the picture attractive. No one piece is independent from the rest.
- Something I love to do with big mirrors, frame them! You can get lightweight foam frames to attach to mirrors – it turns them into stunning focal points.
Mirrors represent the element of Water, so they can also be used as enhancements in support of the Bagua areas of Career, Abundance and Family/Foundation. (click here for a free Bagua map).
Mirrors are reflective surfaces that double whatever they reflect. They are fantastic to use when you are unable to see behind you, or want to bring in a lovely view. To see behind you, position your mirror so it provides full view of the space behind you when you are standing (such as at the stove), or seated (such as at a desk).
When used on the backsplash behind a stove they are being used for three possible purposes.
- To give the cook a view behind them
- To visually expand a small, narrow space
- To symbolically double and expand the wealth represented by food (stove)
This can be effective for anyone. When I’ve done it, I literally mirror the entire backsplash instead of using a small decorative mirror. This is an extremely effective way to visually expand and enlarge the space – and it looks great!
All Feng Shui enhancements should be seamless additions to the space, they should reflect the style and taste of the individual and they should always look as though they belong. The best Feng Shui isn’t the Feng Shui you see, it’s the Feng Shui you feel.
Try it yourself – incorporate a mirror into your space using some the ideas above and send me a picture. I’d love to see your photos! (Email photos to laurie@harmonylifedesign.com) I’ll even post them on my Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/fengshuilifestyle.
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
Guess what?
We’ve decided to sell our house and move! And I’m going to share my Feng Shui Lifestyle™ process and experience with you.
I know many of you have been either trying to sell your home or perhaps you’ve been giving it some thought. The tips I’m going to share will put you and your home at the front of the pack. Preparation and commitment are critical here – you have to do the work to get the maximum benefit.
Step 1 – The basics (Feng Shui can be practical!)
- Clear clutter. If there is ever a time to release your extra stuff, this is it. Go through every room, every closet, and every cupboard and release everything you no longer use, need or love.
- Now that you’ve cleared clutter, go back through every room, every closet and every cupboard and pack up approximately 10-25% of the items in each space. (Why you ask? This is the time to literally make room for someone new, to make room you have to move some stuff out!)
- Take down and clean all curtains.
- Wipe down your baseboards, doors and all trim.
- Time for spring-cleaning, even if it isn’t spring! Move the furniture, get behind the fridge, the washer and dryer and really clean up.
- Clean your windows (You want your home to sparkle and shine – time to get the ‘girl’ ready for a show!)
- Thoroughly clean your garage – time to throw away everything you don’t want to take with you. (Believe me, you have more to throw away than you think you do!)
- Touch up walls and trim where the paint has been chipped.
- Dust all ceilings and corners for spider and dust webs.
Once your home sparkles and shines, it’s time to hire a home inspector. I know, you’re thinking that a home inspection is part of the contract process once you have a buyer and that’s true. And here’s why I recommend hiring an inspector before you put your home up for sale – you want to know everything about your home that needs fixing or correcting before you go to sell it. And once you know, make those repairs now.
Almost 2/3rds of all home sales that fall through do so because of something that comes up during inspection – if you get ahead of the process you can be assured that your home will pass inspection with flying colors!
Step 2 coming soon…
© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
Homemaking, a term that may strike many of us as something women aspired toward when there were few other options. What does Lifestyle Feng Shui™ have to do with homemaking? Everything. Lifestyle Feng Shui™ is about living a life, a lifestyle in balance and harmony with who we are.
Homemaking as I’m defining it is the art of making a house a home. We’re pretty aware of and perhaps pretty good at hanging pictures, buying into the latest decorating trends and colors and that does make a house attractive. But making a house attractive isn’t enough. Homemaking is about creating spaces that are filled with comfort and warmth: spaces that beckon you to enter and stay awhile, spaces that embrace us with a sense of belonging and security.
Sounds enchanting doesn’t it? It is.
A home is many things, it’s the way a room looks, the balance of color and light. It’s the way the furnishings are arranged, the objects we choose to surround ourselves with and where we choose to live. But most of all, it’s how personally connected we are to the spaces we inhabit.
It doesn’t matter if your house is big or small, in the city or in the country or what style of décor you prefer. What matters is that you take the time to create, a space that embraces the spirit of your home, and the essence of your true personality. When we take the time to connect to our personal spaces, and improve those spaces, we improve the quality of our life.
Connecting to your home isn’t about spending lots of money or buying a bigger house. Connecting to the spirit, the heart, of your home isn’t something you buy; it’s something you do.
As Jane Alexander states in Spirit of the Home, “Rediscovering the spirit of your home is about bringing the natural world into your space, giving play to all the elements and the life force they embody. It’s about allowing your senses full rein; filling your home with delicious sounds, and scents, textures and tastes.”
Making your house into a home takes effort. You have to be physically and mentally involved – just like you do in any relationship. For this is a relationship, and for it to work, for your house to fully embrace you and welcome you with comfort and love you must first do the same for your house. And when you do, the change will be perceptible; your house will change into a home that beckons you, that embraces you, that welcomes you.
We nurture ourselves through the choices we make. When we focus on what we love, we fashion our life around our personal sense of balance and harmony, our homes become personal sanctuaries, places that uplift and inspire us. Our homes shape us just as we shape them.
Home is the ultimate expression of who we are. And homemaking is the art of connecting to who we are through our living spaces.
© 2010 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the copyright and link above.
