Room Redo

Looking for a fresh touch for your interiors? House plants provide oxygen, positive energy and eye appeal. However, they must be vibrantly healthy. Consider these options for long-lasting and easy care. And remember, the biggest mistake most people make is over-watering!

Top Three Plants for Indoor use:

Pothos - This plant survives offices, it survives bachelors, it even survives college dorm rooms! Interesting yellow or white variegation on a green, heart shaped leaf on a trailing clumping vine. This is a low light specialist and very tough. Water it once a month and give it some room. Trim it regularly or it gets out of hand.

Spider Plant - This plant has wonderful air quality features and a pretty shape with long, thin leaves. The variegated colors of green and white add interest. It likes medium light levels and needs a high spot so it can drop its shoots.

Snake Plant (Mother in Laws Tongue) - This survives over-watering far more than most. The many different cultivars offer a variety of looks. Light requirement is low. Big size range too, from 6″ to 4′ tall.

Have you been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately? The end of summer can be hectic with squeezing in that final vacation, kids going back to school and planning for Labor Day. Maybe a little Feng Shui can help. Feng Shui helps us create spaces in our homes where we love to be…where we feel most balanced, relaxed, at ease and at home.

Try these simple ideas:

Remove your shoes before entering your home - Make it a ritual to leave the stress of your job, traffic jams and bad days outside. The simple act of removing your shoes is symbolic of casting off the worries and troubles, as well as the dirt, of the outside world. An added bonus is that it saves your floors!

Clean your space and clear clutter - Clutter disrupts your life. When it’s rampant, you feel stressed about everything. You can’t find your keys, important letters, the right belt or a cherished memento. Disorder creates mayhem and hinders your ability to find peace. Make sure that your bedroom, closet and bathroom are in order. If you can begin your day with calm, you have a better chance of feeling centered as you go out into the world.

Surround yourself with light, fresh air and greenery - Open the doors and windows and invite nature in. As night draws near, avoid bright light for at least an hour before bed. Instead allow your body’s natural cycle to slowly move towards night. Use soft light in the bathroom and place dimmers in rooms you spend a good deal of time. Plants are relaxing both inside and outside the home.

Get more sleep by creating a wonderful place to rest your head at night - The best position for your bed is in the back corner of the room, diagonally opposite from the door. This site provides grounding because of the solid wall behind the bed, the expanded view of the room and door, and protection from fast moving energy entering the space.

Choose colors that help you unwind - Incorporate blues, lavenders, greens, peaches and other soothing earth tones into your home. Whether on walls, linens, artwork or decorative objects, soft, neutral colors provide a sense of calm.

You don’t have to live on a beach to get coastal style! Bring the look into any home with rattan or white furnishings, slip-covered furniture, stripes and nautical memorabilia and a color palette of marine blues, sea greens and turquoise.

For creating a relaxing atmosphere nothing compares to adding natural accents such as seashells, coral, sea glass or even rocks. Try combining them with subtle nautical accents such as tailored canvas slipcovers or blue and white striped pillows.

It’s surprisingly simple, a white base to start, combined with stripes in red or blue and elements of wicker and hemp as accents. Black and white photos of sailing ships or water scenes are also unique and affordable for art.

Coastal style largely originated from modest summer rentals. Mix vintage items with simple and economical pieces. Add a jar of seashells on a shelf, some grommets on drapes, a few stripes on the pillows, and you have simple, coastal living that’s easy to live with and can make you feel like you have a summer house even if you are staying in the burbs.

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.