The balance of feng shui

One of the main principles of the ancient art of feng shui involves chi, or energy. Furniture, art and accessories are always placed with the flow of chi in mind, so that the homes energy is not blocked, trapped or rushed out. For example, ample space should be maintained in each room so that the chi can continue to circulate, and an open traffic flow is always encouraged.

Another concept within the feng shui philosophy is yin/yang, which means a balance of opposing things. In life as well as in design, nothing is all black (yin) or white (yang), but a balance can be created when using both in unison. Yin is considered the female energy, and yang the male. Yin/yang is also applied to colors (yin being muted; yang, bright), lines (yin, curved; yang, straight) or objects yin, soft; yang, hard). A balanced combination of yin and yang makes a nicely designed space, and will also appeal to both sexes.

Five elements in feng shui are also used to create balance: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. These elemental representations refer to the actual materials themselves, as well as to their corresponding colors and shapes. Water is represented by the color blue and curvy shapes, wood by greens and columnar shapes, fire by red and spiky shapes, earth by browns and rectangular shapes, and metal by pastels and round shapes.

According to feng shui principles, if there is too much fire in a room, it will be over stimulating. Too much earth is boring, too much water feels cold, too much wood feels hard, and too much metal, rigid. Yet all these elements can be combined to create a space that looks and feels beautifully balanced.

Another way to create balance is by using symmetry. Options include arranging furnishings of similar size across the room from each other, or taking the architectural features into account and placing furniture accordingly. Another balancing trick is using soft, curvy and comfortable (yin) pieces along with hard, straight and sleek (yang) pieces, or patterns and smaller accent pieces (yin) along with stripes and larger items (yang). It is usually advisable to use a combination of these colors, shapes and textures in a room, so feel free to mix it up!

A mirror should not be hung directly across from a doorway, as it will reflect the chi back outside; a mirror should not be located near the bed if you have sleep problems, as it stirs up the chi; and mirrors should be hung high enough so that the tallest persons head isnt cut off (bad chi!). Also, a mirror should not reflect anything uninteresting or unflattering, like a blank ceiling or a person eating, sleeping or talking. However, placing a mirror opposite a great view is a wonderful way to expand the room, as well as accent natures beauty inside.

For those of us that are looking to create a more comfortable home, feng shui is a helpful tool . Ask yourself: are there items in each room that are hard and soft, curved and flat, warm and cool, reflective and dull? Take some time to insure that your home has a nice balance of all lifes shapes, sizes, colors and textures.

Linda Lawrence is the owner of HouseCalls for Redesign. Contact her at housecalls4redesign @comcast.net or 728-2732, or visit housecalls4redesign.com.

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The balance of feng shui