Demystifying Feng Shui

So many Americans have little or no knowledge of Feng Shui. It is the Asian art of placement so energy, or better known as chi, is allowed to comfortably move about. Many American have a difficult time understanding or believing this energy exists, you can’t see it. Lets look at the human body as an example, blood run through our veins within body and is circulated through the heart, but what makes the heart pump. Each and every one of us has a similar energy to chi running though our body. We cannot see it, if we do not eat we can feel the energy slow us down. Chi is an energy that is in the environment all around us. Energy works in the environment very similar to how it works within our body. You cannot see it, but it affects how we feel and how we act at times.

The art of Feng Shui is very complicated it but let’s take a look at it from a very simplified perspective on how it works with our homes. You may not believe as many Feng Shui practitioners do, that there is good energy and bad energy in your home, but lets look at some of the simpler thing you should do to achieve good Feng Shui and why from a westerner view they are good design. First look at where you place a house along a road. It is bad Feng Shui to build a home on an outside corner on a road because it forces bad chi towards your home. I would say this is bad design from my western perspective because if a vehicle is traveling too fast down the road and cannot make the corner there is a good chance it will come through the wall of your house. We all know of a few of these homes in your town. So you can see the bad chi in this situation. Feng Shui like good design practices has a way to fix this bad chi by building some type of protection like a stone wall or a row of tree to prevent the house from being hit or damaged. By building this wall or screening you have diverted the bad chi from coming at your house or diverted the cars energy from hitting the house. Now you can see that Feng Shui is really just good common since design when looking at it in its simplest form.

Let look at another example with in your home know. It is bad Feng Shui to line up the front door with the bad door. The good chi or energy move in one door and straight out the back door. Looking at this from a design perspective you’ve divided your home into two pieces and created a throughway straight through your home or a wind tunnel if both doors are open. Good design would have you meandering through your home to enjoy it not beline through it.

These are just a couple simple example that points out this ancient art of Fung Shui, is really good design practices. that takes into account both the phyical and phycological aspects of design.

Spring Projects: Low cost, Big results

In this economic down swing when stress is running amuck in everyone’s lives, now is a time to look around your home and office to see what can be changed to reduce stress. One great place to start is with clutter. Living and working in a space full of clutter is enough to make your head spin, not to mention that it’s bad Feng Shui. Clutter has an extremely negative effect on people in general. Removing clutter from a space and organizing it is like lifting a burden off your shoulder. So, start this spring doing a little organizing and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. Not sure where to put all that junk? Find creative ways to add storage to your space, such as by using an ottoman that doubles as a trunk, or building a bench with drawers that hide kids’ toys.
One you’re organized and can see the walls and floor again, consider giving the room a face lift. It gives things a clean fresh look, but it’s also an opportunity to add to the calming effect you’ve created by removing clutter. Paint is an inexpensive way to change the mood of a room for the better. Light shades of green are great for reducing stress. Other light colors coming from nature can have a similar effect, and neutrals go great with virtually any furnishings. Beware of using bright colors that can over stimulate the brain, such as reds. The goal here is to reduce stress, not add to it.
So what are you waiting for? Go make this year’s spring project one that will improve your quality of life!

The Lady’s Room Consignment Boutique: Chapter Two

About one year ago I took a business class to assist me in setting up my new interior design consulting firm. During the process I met an amassing group of women all looking to succeed in making dreams come true by starting and maintaining successful businesses. This is where I meet Pam Olson, owner of The Lady’s Room. At that time in early 2008, the store was only a pipe dream. After getting to know Pam, she asked if I could take a look at the space she had leased and give her some ideas. We quickly put some plans together, added some color, and in April 2008 she opened up for business. In late January this year, Pam contacted me and informed me that she was out of space and wanted to move to a bigger location with more pedestrian traffic. So off we went again. Taking part in the process from the start this time around, I had the opportunity do some quick calculations. We made sure she had enough space to display her wares with a little growth space to boot. Having the space we needed allowed us to create a much more inviting atmosphere. My partner always tells me a project half planned is a project half done. On the second go around with The Lady’s Room, this proved to be true. Good design can make or break the success of a new business, especially in the case of retail. I would like to thank Pam for trusting me with the design of her new space and I wish Pam the best of success in her new location!

10 Myths About Sustainability

One of my favorite website sites for good common cents green design is Low Impact Living. This week is a great article on the 10 Myths About Sustainability. Check out the full article which explains each of the 10 myths at http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2009/03/20/10-myths-about-sustainability/.

10 Myths About Sustainability.

Myth 1: Nobody knows what sustainability really means.
Myth 2: Sustainability is all about the environment
Myth 3: “Sustainable” is a synonym for “green”
Myth 4: It’s all about recycling
Myth 5: Sustainability is too expensive
Myth 6: Sustainability means lowering our standard of living
Myth 7: Consumer choices and grassroots activism, not government intervention, offer the fastest, most efficient routes to sustainability
Myth 8: New technology is always the answer
Myth 9: Sustainability is ultimately a population problem
Myth 10: Once you understand the concept, living sustainably is a breeze to figure out.

IIDA Notes: Why Does the Interior Design Profession Need to be legislated? An Architect's View

In this day and age many do not understand the need of the licensed interior designer. This editorial I come across in an Interior Sources newsletter is one of the best explanations I’ve read recently!

Here the link so you can judge for yourself:

IIDA Notes: Why Does the Interior Design Profession Need to be legislated? An Architect's View

http://www.interiorsandsources.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3339/ArticleID/6900/Default.aspx?utm_source=MagnetMail&utm_medium=eNewsletters&utm_term=lwhite.inex@gmail.com&utm_content=DesignFlash%20-%2003.10.09&utm_campaign=ASID%20to%20Address%20Legislative%20Priorities%20for%202009

Five Reasons to go Green in Your Home or Office:

Reason #1: Going green costing more is only a myth. There are lots of green products that can make your home or office greener with out adding more costs to your project. Replacing old floor or cabinets with a new bamboo product costs the same as other options and is made from a quickly renewable natural resource. You can also shop Craig’s list or antique shops for good used products, refurbish them and make them part of your new design. This is a great idea for those of you who enjoy the eclectic look. Reusing items is great for the environment and can save you money!

Reason #2: Think about your kids and their kids and future generations. If we all continue to want everything we own to be new and never recycle, we will we eventually run out of space in our landfills, contaminating water, soil, and air with the byproducts of what we dispose. Also, none of us want to live near a land fill due to the smell and risk of what it might be doing to our ground water supply. We risk running out of land for recreation such as hiking, camping, and hunting as our land fills continue to grow out of control.

Reason #3: Being more energy efficient actually saves you money. If you use less you spend less. If you buy energy efficient lighting and appliances you will save money on your electric bill. With the money you save, you can add new energy technologies such as solar panels for electricity or hot water, which increases your long term savings. A house is a long term investment; the more you put into the energy efficiencies of the building, the more you save in energy costs and increase the resale value for your property. It is a win-win situation.


Reason #4: Upfront cost versus long term cost: We all want to save money today, but so often when we do it costs us more money in the long run. Some green products do cost slightly more than other products, but if you have allergies, lung or heart disease, the pennies you save on a gallon of paint are less than what you will be paying in co-payments at the doctors office. Products that admit high levels of VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) put you at higher risk for illnesses. See Wikipedia for addition information on VOC’s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound#Environmental_effects

Reason #5: The bottom line is it’s just good for your health! Eliminating VOCs from businesses and homes lowers our risk of becoming ill. There just isn’t anything better in life than good heath. Schools have been slowly going green for years as studies have shown that children learn better, have less absenteeism and reduced lawsuits from parents for cases of sick building syndrome.

Check out the Top 5 Environmentally Friendly Innovations for the Modern Homes by Popular Mechanic’s Magazine. (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4212727.html)

Designing for the Aging Population:

As a designer, I know and have seen just how important it is to design for the aging. What amazes me is how little attention is given to it from the general public. How disconcerting it can become to families who are confronted with an unexpected turn of health with a close family member or friend. This is a result of reactive planning which rarely produces satisfactory results for the individual who is no longer able live on their own. I had a taste of this myself this summer when my father unexpectedly fell ill. I am luckier than most, as my father is on a path to recovery, but that wasn’t expected when he first became ill.

As with our healthcare in general, it is always better to be proactive instead reactive, leaving this job to our children and friends, or even worse, total stranger. When left till the last minute, we have a tendency to look at just the physical needs of an aging body and none of the physiological or social aspects of our lives.

We of the baby bloomer generation should all be taking a hard look at our lives and realizing that we may or may not have our health for many more years. We are at the age when our friends are beginning to leave this world and we read the obituaries to keep track of them. This is the time to look at our social circles, new and old, think about how we want to spend our final years, and prepare for those days both physically and mentally. Growing old isn’t a bad thing, but as with everything else in life it requires good planning.

We should be positioning ourselves in homes that can accommodate our physical needs whether we’re mobile or not. We need to locate ourselves around those we are closest to, be that family or friends. Studies have shown that those of us with a minimum of ten close contacts will have better metal health in their latter years. So take a good look at whom you would like spend your time with. If you don’t have at least ten close contacts, find a group you can join. Volunteer where you can make friends and enjoy your life and share that joy with others so that they too can enjoy life. Act now: don’t wait until you can’t get around anymore.

As a designer, I’ve learned how critical universal design is to our society. When we design today to meet the needs of all, no matter what those needs are, we are designing to meet our own future needs. Planning ahead allows us the freedom to live our lives how we want to live them, rather than how someone else thinks is best for us. So take control of your destiny: you will be glad you made the effort.