Design Basics: Feng Shui – 5 Quick Fixes

You don't have to know what this means

I live in Vancouver, B.C. – a city with a population that is about 17% Chinese. So naturally there is much attention paid to Chinese values and superstitions. There are quite a few feng shui experts who make a living in the city.

home sweet home

Whether you believe in it or not, I think that Feng Shui offers some lessons that are of benefit to anyone. The main principal of Feng Shui is to keep the Chi (or life force energy) flowing like water. For an auspicious life, you want to keep it moving but not let it leak out of your home and your life. Feng Shui is also put into use by many top designers, like Kelly Hoppen.

There are many places on the net where you can read more about the philosophy of Feng Shui. (Here are some good ones.) However, if you are on the go and don’t need to get into the background philosophy, here are my quick tips to help you do just that.

5 Quick Feng Shui Fixes:

~ 1 – Clear your clutter ~

Feng Shui Element - FIre

Now you can see why I hold Feng Shui so dear. Clearing clutter truly gives me a sense of calm and feeling of accomplishment. Do all of your rooms hold your attention equally or is there one place that you are ignoring (blocking)? Most of us have somewhere that we ignore (whether we
realize it or not) or a place that we can justify being messy or unorganized. Think about your basement, your laundry room, that hallway closet etc.

Take a deep breath! You don’t need to tackle everything all at once. I like to pick a problem area and do a little bit at a time. That way I make progress but I don’t end up getting overwhelmed. When you get overwhelmed you will walk away and it will be difficult to return to the problem at hand. Work hard on it but make sure you don’t bite off any more than you can chew at one time.

~ 2 – Toilet seat down! ~

This is the best reason ever to keep a lid on it. You don’t want to flush away your chi (luck, money) do you? This may take some training on behalf of you and your family but really, having the toilet seat down is one of the simplest bathroom fixes available. It is also a pet peeve of mine. How many real estate listings have you seen where the toilet lid is up? Lots. And how many design magazines have you seen with it up? None. Case closed.

~ 3 – No clutter under the bed ~

No clutter under this bed!

This is one that I wrestle with. We have one of those spring-loaded opening beds that allows ample storage underneath (perfect for condo living). So, yes, there is a bit of junk in that trunk! However, keeping the space beneath your bed clear is one of the best ways to prevent your chi from getting stagnant. It is also good for improving your quality of sleep – and who doesn’t need some help with that? If you can’t clear it totally, try to avoid storing the following items close to where you sleep at night: mementoes from previous relationships (these will let the past haunt you), running shoes or exercise equipment (these will make you restless) or books (these will keep your mind wandering all night).

~ 4 – Get rid of unhealthy plants ~

these are good dead flowers are bad

This one is a no brainer! If you – like me – have problems with keeping plants alive, make sure you get rid of them! Don’t let them hang around in the hopes they will resurrect themselves. The same goes for dried flowers. Dying or dead plants symbolize death and that is defnitely something you don’t want in your home (or on your patio!).

~ 5 – Keep your mirrors and windows clean ~

Water is another feng shui element

Windows symbolize opportunity, so you want to keep them clean so you can see opportunities coming your way. Your mirror is how you see yourself. Keep it clean so that you have at the clearest picture of yourself.

As with any of my design advice, the whole point is to create a relaxing and harmonious environment. Don’t stress yourself out by trying to follow all the advice out there! Do what you can and let the magic work itself.