FUN SHUI SHOW TIPS
Hi everyone!
I've received more and more questions from all of you, and thought it might be nice to use this forum to cover some of your questions, especially those that come up around the show.
Here are a few that I received this evening, in response to the home office makeover:
"Where did your wood come from for the desk?"
STEPH: The desk was from a cherry tree that had died and was then cut down and sliced specially for our show! Our handyman, Cory, went above and beyond to acquire this wood - if you only could have seen this desk in real life - it truly is a work of art! Bravo Cory... not only was it beautiful, but a kind creation for the environment.
"Why do you use some sort of red or orange in all the episodes?"
STEPH: Great question! Funny, that was just a fluke of how the show's were ordered to air - something we caught after the fact. From here on there are definitely rooms coming (starting next week!) using blues, greens and neutrals, so stay tuned!
The reds that have been used, in tonight's episode as well as in the kitchen episode, were there to promote focus and reputation. Red is the color that represents the "fame" area of a space (the back far center area, as you stand in your doorway), so this was the confident, focused nudge I especially wanted to give Karen (the wife) as she was pursuing her career goals. As you may have heard in the "testimonials" section of my website, since the filming of tonight's episode Karen has left her corporate job and has gotten certified as a life coach and is starting her own business! Knowing that it was Karen's dream to help inspire women in this way, I wanted to make sure she had a space where she could work from home as she desired, so that was the inspiration for the home office redesign.
I strongly believe that if we desire something, it's important to create a space for it to happen, ie. if you're wanting to paint, it might be a great idea to set up a space for your paints and an easel. If you're wanting to exercise more, create a home gym, etc. If you build it, it will come, so to speak...
The orange tones that were used in the bedroom episode from last week represent the earth element. This color scheme not only worked with their personal taste and decor, but also was beneficial for their personality types. I could have gone with an earthier brown or tan tone, but often these sorts of earth colors are dulling and more neutralizing in their effect, and I purposefully wanted a color that would also be bold enough to help enhance their romantic connection.
"I didn't like the color combination from tonight's episode. Why did you put those two colors together?"
STEPH: Well, I'm glad you're brave enough to ask! I love honesty, and completely understand why you might dislike tonight's more daring color combination. This color combination would not be right for most people, and if it was another couple I was working with, even within this same home layout, I would have picked very different colors.
Sometimes where there's lots of stagnancy somewhere, and a person is really eager and hungry to make a change, and also has a lot of career passion and life energy like Karen had this evening, I sometimes will place what seems to be two opposing colors next to one another. This creates a very special sort of optical "buzz" if you will, and can keep a very activated, energized feeling to the room long, long, long after the paint has dried. (FYI: I only do this if it's appropriate to the people's personalities, where they're wanting to go, and the current decor. I knew this couple could handle a bold color combination like this. And I also knew they needed quite a buzz to happen for their financial and career goals.)
"I can't put a water feature in my office - there's no room and it would be too close to all my electrical equipment. What do I do? How can I put a waterfall in there to bring in wealth?"
STEPH: Amazing question. You don't HAVE to have waterfalls, or purples, or anything else for that matter, in your wealth are of your home, or in your home office in general. When you do have the appropriate arrangement, they can be lovely additions, but you don't have to have one in order to have abundance. There are so many other factors that play into creating an abundant home, just like there are many aspects to create health in our bodies (food, rest, environment, thinking, movement, etc.). Before worrying about the details or dressings of a room, make sure that you have organization that works for you, that your chair is supportive and comfortable, everything is in good working order, you have appropriate lighting, and that the flow through the room is smooth and easy, with nothing blocking the flow through the space. Starting there can be a HUGE enhancement to bringing in abundance. If these foundational issues haven't been handled, no amount of waterfalls can make up for what lacks in these other areas.
Side tip: One of the BEST places to put a waterfall is in your entryway - either inside or out. Front entrances to homes represent your career or path in life, and water is the element that is represented there. Flowing water also represents abundance. Keep in mind, we want the energy flowing INTO the home, so try to use either waterfalls that cascade down all sides of the fountain, or ones that flow INTO or toward the home!
"What if my bedroom is in my wealth area! What do I do then? My office is somewhere else."
i
STEPH: You all are FULL of great questions tonight! No worries... Just because I placed tonight's family's home office in THEIR wealth corner, doesn't mean you have to as well. It just happened that it worked out nicely for them in that way. Getting this family to spend more time positive time in this previously unused dining room area is almost like adding an accupuncture needle to this area of the home - it brings life and energy into that space, as well as that aspect of their life.
If your bedroom falls in the wealth area, I'd want to make sure you were fully supported by a bed that was sturdy and comfortable. I'd also want to make sure that you were sleeping in the most powerful position possible (please ask if any of you need clarification about power spots!). Do you love your bedding? Could you possibly add a luxurious throw, or some rich textures to the room in any way? Do you have a very expensive painting, vase, scupture, or knick-knack that you can incorporate into the room to remind you of abundance? Do you love spending time there? Does it make you feel wonderful to walk into the room? Is it clean, clear and uplifting? If not, addressing these issues can be a great place to start in bringing abundance into your life.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS I CAN, TO HELP ALL OF YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POWERFUL YET PRACTICAL ART OF FENG SHUI!
Cheers and good chi, everyone!
Join our mailing list to get more of Stephanie's thoughts sent straight to your inbox:
© 2007 Stephanie McWilliams LLC
