-- literally, wind-water in Chinese --has become one of
the hottest design trends and conversation topics going around. Want to make a
home Feng Shui-friendly, but don't know where to start? Here are a few basics.
The Front Entrance
The entrance of a home says a lot about its occupants.
Make sure the area around the front door is tidy and bright. Healthy plants
can be a welcoming asset. Only certain kinds of houses should have doors
painted boldly with colors like red or black. Neutral or softer colors are
better according to Feng Shui experts.
If a street is aligned with the front door and houses in
general, the chi "air currents" need to be deflected by landscaping.
Use low hedges or a trellis to buffer the chi from having direct flow to the
front door. And if the front door is directly aligned with the back door, use
a screen or indoor plants as a buffer to enhance the flow of chi.
Bedrooms
This is one of the most important areas of the home and
should be a retreat where an individual can go to relax. Most schools of Feng
Shui agree that the bed should not be lined up with the entry door. Lined
up" means that you should not be able to sit up in bed and see that your
feet are pointing right out the door. Ideally, place the bed so the door can
be seen without turning your head more than 45 degrees while lying down and
place the headboard against a solid wall and not in front of a low window.
Home Office
Position a desk so that you do not have your back to the
door when you are seated. Also, you should face the room and not have the desk
up against a wall, unless you have a side view of the door. For people with
computers on their desk, the wires can be obscured with white plastic tubing
that gathers them and makes them almost invisible.
Lighting and Views
A Feng Shui home makes sure that a good dose of natural
light is in each room for a portion of the day. Skylights are very enhancing
for windowless or dark rooms. If all you see when you look out a window is a
blank wall of the property next door, place a plant inside or outside the
window as a distraction.
