Room Redo

When it comes to good Feng Shui for your baby, be guided by your senses. Think of the nursery as a special retreat for relaxation and bonding with your little one.  Let it delight all five senses.

Create a harmony of soft Feng Shui colors in the nursery. Look beyond the traditional pink or blue and choose the colors you really like, colors that comfort and soothe you and your baby.

Have different sources of light in the nursery to be used at different times of day and night.  This contributes to balanced energy.  Hint:  most children’s rooms have inadequate overhead lighting and often under-sized lamps.

Keep your baby’s bed away from the door.  Do not put the crib too close to the door or in line with it.  Limit the electrical appliances close to the crib.

Use natural materials whenever possible for baby’s bedding, nursery curtains, flooring, rugs, furniture and toys. Choose wood over plastic.  Look for soft and soothing natural fibers.

Treat your baby’s sense of smell with respect.  Open windows daily for good ventilation and empty waste baskets regularly.

A child’s room can be challenging. You want to stimulate creativity yet encourage rest and relaxation. Let your child pick a theme or color that will be the main focus of the room. Consider soothing wall colors, like light pinks, gray-blue, greens or lavender to provide an ease-into-sleep feel.

For fun art, allow one or two spots for posters or cartoon characters. To make it interesting, cut into even sections and frame. Chalkboard paint makes a fun, interactive backdrop for any bedroom. I also like to have a designated bulletin board area for mementos, photos, invitations, etc. This keeps the clutter in one spot but allows for lost of postings. Another idea: display your child’s artwork in clear acrylic frames that can be updated as often as you wish when new pieces are created.

If possible, give kids their own “office” space where they can do homework and keep supplies. If space is at a premium, try multi-function furniture. A dresser can work as both a changing table and storage for homework supplies.

Encourage reading by having seating other than the bed and adequate lighting. A small bookcase with favorite books is nice.

Keep closets neat with multi-pocket organizers on doors. These can hold anything from hair ornaments to sunglasses, trinkets or even art supplies.

Pets can generate wonderful Feng Shui, but did you also know they are affected by your home’s environment?  If you live with a furry, feathery or fuzzy creature, read the following tips to help you and your pets live in harmony.

Do get a pet if you feel tired, depressed or stuck in a rut.  Animals represent fire energy.  Adding fire energy will make you more passionate about life.  If you travel a lot, you can always get a low-maintenance pet, like a reptile or fish.  Aquatic animals can live in a fish tank and are ideal for your prosperity sector (the far left corner of your home).  Their gentle movement will stimulate new income.

Don’t neglect your pets.  When you don’t feed, bathe and nurture your pet properly, your Feng Shui will suffer.  A fish tank with dirty, stagnant water can result in financial loss.  A dog with a matted coat may prompt you to get overlooked for a promotion. An overweight cat may drive away romance. You may not realize it, but the way you treat people, pets and plants has bearing on your own self-image.

Do set aside an area for your pet.  Whether it’s a cage, bed or cushion, this will honor your pet in a way that benefits the whole household.  Make sure your pet’s area is clean and well maintained. The best spots for an animal are the near left corner or the center portion of the far wall of your home. When you designate a special spot for your animals, you might find that you are better recognized for your own talents and contributions.

Don’t let your pets sleep on your bed.  This can put a real damper on your love life and create intimacy problems for you.  Many animal lovers drive romance from their doors by putting their pets first in all circumstances. When it comes to relationships, people should come before pets. That doesn’t mean you should get rid of your cat or dog if you meet someone who dislikes animals, but it does mean that you shouldn’t treat your pet like a substitute lover or child.

We love our pets! Pet-friendly design encourages easy to clean and maintain homes so that you and your pets are happy and comfortable. Here are a few easy tips to make life easier:

DO use easy to clean flooring as much as possible. Ceramic tile can be a dog’s best friend.

DO use stain resistant fabrics. Add the stain-guard protection plan when purchasing new pieces. Also, think about whether your cat will want to scratch the fabrics that you are considering and whether or not you the fabric will attract and grab a lot of pet hair.

DON’T decorate with breakables. Fragile items and animals don’t mix. One bat of a dog’s tail or swat of a cat’s paw can be a small disaster. Display your favorite delicates on high shelves or in a china cabinet.

DON’T use flat finish paint. Animals like to rub and nestle up against surfaces and even the cleanest pet will leave smudges on walls and door jambs. Flat paint is difficult to clean. Use eggshell or satin paint on walls and semi-gloss on trim and doors. In particularly messy areas, like a laundry room where you wash your pet, you might even use semi-gloss on the walls. This will make clean up much easier.

Feng Shui is the study of arranging your environment to enhance your life. Because we spend so much time at work, your workspace has a huge influence in your life. Try these enhancements to support your prosperity:

Clear The Clutter In Your Office – I know you are probably tired of hearing this, but clutter bogs you down. Clutter is anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated or disorganized. When you clear your clutter you create space for new things and your energy and creativity will increase. Regularly purge filing cabinets and keep desktops neat.

Place Your Desk in The Power Position - The ideal placement for your computer and desk is in a position that allows you to see the door of your office. If this is not possible, you can restore good Feng Shui by arranging a mirror that gives you a clear view of the door.

Enhance Your Prosperity Corner - As you enter the door of your office, the far left hand corner is your Wealth and Prosperity corner. What do you have there? Clutter here will definitely be affecting your prosperity. This would be a good place for a small tabletop fountain, a valuable item or even an affirmation. Green, gold and reds are colors of prosperity. Can you include these colors in something that makes you feel prosperous?

Buy A Healthy Plant - A plant will bring life into your workspace and will also absorb toxins in the air.

Here are a few easy tips to help enlarge small spaces:

Shiny paint – High gloss paint can be almost as reflective as a mirror

Open shelves – Replacing upper kitchen cabinets with floating shelves makes a huge difference

Wall-mounted fixtures – Installing a pedestal sink and sticking to wall-hung fixtures are the best ways to open up a bathroom

No overhead lights – Use only wall sconces to keep the ceiling clutter-free

Svelte molding – Use, narrow, simple trim, baseboards and crown molding

Window treatments – Mount drapery and rods as close to the ceiling as possible. Select lighter colored fabrics for draperies or use simple, trim, inside mount shades

Emphasize verticals – Use crisp curtain panels and low-slung furniture to add height

Clean out junk under the bed, in the basement and closets. Accumulated stuff weighs you down, and those hidden piles block energy flow through the home.

Throw out cracked or chipped vases and old flowers. Fresh blooms, beautifully arranged, attract wealth. Dead plants or broken containers do the opposite.

Mend or toss broken clocks, any symbol of dead time impedes progress.

Move out any items or furniture from behind doors, fix squeaky hinges. The energy of every room is conditioned, at least in part, by how you enter it.

Keep kitchen counters clear, and wash dishes. Periodically clean out the refrigerator as well. This area is considered the heart of the home, and messes will affect your health and finances.

An important aspect of creating your own spaces is finding art that express your personality while enhancing the look of a room. Artwork is an accessory that should add interest and sophistication, without creating clutter and distraction. Consider color and décor to create balance and harmony within the room.

Understand Your Personal Style – Artwork comes in many types.  Traditionalists can select land or waterscapes.  Those with more romantic tastes can look to impressionist-style portraits or old photographs of couples.  Photography is also great for trendy types, since the subject matter is nearly endless.   If you’re looking for something modern and eclectic, pick pieces with bold colors and shapes.

Work with the Other Colors in the Room – Art can add more color of nearly any hue.  Since a piece can be very colorful or contain just a hint of a color you love, art is one of the best ways to introduce more color in any space.  You can continue the trend in your accessories, fabrics and rugs.

You can try selecting art that matches the colors on walls and furniture or pick art in a contrasting color. If you like contrast, consider modern art with shapes painted in your favorite colors.  If the rest of your room is bright and bold, create balance with black-and-white photography.  If your room consists of earthy neutrals, jazz it up with artwork that contains rich, vibrant tones or sepia-tinted photography.

As with every beautiful experience, it is good to record memories whether on paper, camera or small tokens. Record a few of your favorite holiday memories this Memorial Day and find a way to bring them into your space.

Pick up a few shells on the beach and incorporate them into your décor. Larger shells make great looking bookends or work as an accessory on a stack of books or decorative boxes. Smaller ones can be scattered on a tray or added to a potted plant for a coastal update. Buy a package of very small shells at a souvenir store or craft store and glue them to a picture frame. Fill it with a favorite holiday photo.

Purchase an orchid while shopping for cook-out supplies and use it as a simple centerpiece on your kitchen, dining or coffee table. Keep a fresh bouquet of herbs on your counter to use and enjoy over the long weekend.

The simple pleasures of a few days off in anticipation of summer are a nice counterpoint to busy days. Slow down and enjoy a bit of nature in your home and in your spirit.

Our sophisticated baby boomers know a lot about design. They want beautiful finishes in their homes that are easily maintained. Hard surface flooring and smooth surfaces on countertops are preferred.

Boomers want to relax and not be worried about repairing and replacing things. They want to do it right and not do it twice. One story homes, airy lofts, and stylish spaces with pedestrian access to grocery stores, restaurants, theaters and coffee shops is a bonus.

The majority have a “me-centric” vision with little interest in catering to their kids or aging parents’ needs, though many happily make exceptions for grandchildren. Baby boomers are intent on renewing their spaces to reflect their own renewed outlook on life and to enjoy their homes.