Home Improvement – Designing a Beautiful Home

Posts Tagged ‘Clutter’

Mirrors are found throughout a home, but unless you follow the proper guidelines for feng shui mirrors, the position is usually incorrect. A mirror placed in a wrong location can do more damage than you think. What you normally use for home decor and vanity purposes is actually quite a powerful tool which can cure the bad ‘qi’ or energy of the space and shift its flow.

There are three ways in which the mirrors can effectively be used as feng shui remedies. They are expansion, reflection and deflection. The purpose of expansion would be to create the illusion of expanded space and is usually placed in areas such as narrow hallways where space is cramped and limited. Typically these areas have stagnant ‘qi’ and the illusion of more space can help it flow freely. The aim of reflection is to double the quantity of anything that faces the mirror. This really is a good thing if positive images come in front of that mirror, since it will double that image and create more positivity. On the other hand, the same can be said for negative images. For instance, avoid clutter in front of the mirror, because that only increases the quantity of clutter along with the negative energy that it represents. The purpose of deflection is to combat negative energy from the outside. In this particular case, a bagua mirror is placed either on the front door or window facing outside the home. This method is effective when there are actually sharp corners aimed toward the home, when you have incoming traffic headed straight towards the home or more.

You will discover both good and bad locations for the mirror. One of the most powerful uses of the mirror should be to place it behind a stove in the kitchen. The kitchen is thought to be the area in the home that relates to the wealth and success for an entire family, and the burners on a stove is considered the area where wealth is generated. So according to the rule of reflection, the mirror doubles the image of burners, essentially creating more wealth. One of the worst places for the mirror is facing the foot of the bed inside a bedroom. It’s believed that the mirror will steal the soul of the person when he or she is sleeping. This is definitely not something that you would like to happen. You are able to resolve this issue by simply rearranging the furniture in this particular bedroom so that the mirror no longer faces the bed.

Feng shui mirrors represent the water element and are great in areas of the room or the whole home which is related to water. Just use a bagua map to figure out the placement for every element. Avoid placing it in areas that represent the fire element, because water puts out fire so it may have a negative affect on that area. Other key things to watch out for are placing two mirrors that face one another, it bounces the ‘qi’ off continuously which is considered not a good thing. Smaller mirrors must be hung on a wall at face level to avoid cutting off your reflected image. All of these factors are essential in determining the most effective location for mirrors in your home.

If you’re like most people today your lifestyle is so busy it doesn’t leave you with much time for housework. At the end of most days you just want to get home and crash out on the sofa and relax right? If this is you then a tradtional home decorating plan may not work for you. You’re going to need something a bit more modern and a lot more low maintenance. Less clutter and more is what you’re really looking for here.

Modern made spaces are characterized by simple yet elegant furniture which usually comes in bold dark colors. This lends a posh feel to the whole setting. You can have a few decorative pieces in one corner of the room, but a truly modern design would probably concentrate on a few note-worthy pieces that are placed to stand out from the rest of the room. Young professionals with this kind of home, usually shell out lots of money for simple yet intriguing home accessories like these. They would much rather spend money on a few items of art than several mismatched décor items! Are you on the look-out for that perfect red vase? Well, I found the red vase of my fantasies in Venice. And although I paid a slightly higher price for that vase than usual, looking at it every day as it sits gloriously in a corner of my living room is all worth the extra few bucks I spent!

The majority of modern homes usually come in bold, solid colors. Black, red, white and green are best-sellers! These hues are perfect backdrop for the unique accessories you will choose. They also accentuate the straight, no-nonsense form of your modern furniture. Looking for an interesting decorating style? One well-known addition to this modern theme is to have big blocks done in different colors, like red and black or black and white placed in an oblique position and traveling from each corner of the room. You can even add shelves on top of these blocks so that you can place decorative pieces on them!

Being minimalist in nature this style follows the adage that simplicity is beauty! So you won’t see the playhouse look of clutter and disarray common in most homes. Neither will you be stepping on scattered cushions, rugs, or ottomans on the living room floor. Instead you will have a couple of large pieces of furnishing that may or may not have complementing floor pillows. Add to this some side tables for drinks and you’re good to go!

The advantage of this modern look is that it’s chic yet all the while very functional. It takes away from all the complicated clutter and makes you feel relaxed when you come home from a grueling day at the office. It also makes for a great party venue because the area is easy to clean after. A word of advice though, this style may be difficult to maintain the moment you decide to have a family, complete with naughty little kids who won’t really care if that’s a million-dollar vase from Venice. Once you have kids around, prepare for modern ambush and say goodbye to that clutter-free space. After all, kids will always be kids!

You’ll find that most furniture with a modern edge to it…well it has just that – edges. Some of the more modern furnishings are simply not as child friendly as the older and more traditional stuff. So if you want to take a modern approach to your home decorating you might want to consider doing this before you have kids or waiting until they go to college. If you simply can’t wait to get started then maybe start off with one room in your home that’s designed in a modern way and make this your personal haven. That way your kids will be safe from harmful knocks and you’ll have the room a room that you love spending time in.

Feng Shui Study Room Colors

Good Feng Shui can be realized anywhere! Even if you don’t have your own desk or study area.

The goal of Feng Shui is to create an environment where your child can feel happy, health and encouraged to learn. Their environment can not only help them succeed in school but also can help nature an environment that encourages strong relationships with friends and family. Feng Shui Study Room Colors

A child’s or students room can benefit greatly by ensuring that it is aligned in the most auspicious way to allow energy to flow freely and nourish their soul. Follow these easy steps to a healthy, happy student space!

1. Clear your clutter – clear your mind!
Clutter creates stagnant energy and pressure. Clutter can make your child or young student feel like they are under constant pressure and overwhelmed. It is crucial that they are surrounded with clear open space that allows their creative juices to flow! So take some time to throw out all the old clothes, outgrown toys, under bed storage overflow and jam packed closets! Create a room to where your child feels light and energized.

2. Your Space – My Space
Do your children share a room? This can be trickily. Ensure that they each have their own space within the room. Separate beds, separate books cases, a closet with a divider down the middle!. Have a lamp beside each of their beds so that if one is a night owl, the other doesn’t have to lose sleep with an overhead light on all night! It is not ideal to do homework together (easy to be distracted) so designate other areas they can use (thing dining room table is often neglected and can make a great study area!)

3. Sleeping Directions
A dorm room can limit your bed placement so generally we recommend to just ensure you are able to see the door from your bed. At home you may have the luxury of positioning your bed in a number of different directions. Every one of us has directions that are better for use than others. Check our website articles for YOUR BEST DIRECTIONS! and determine which way your best head (headboard) should face to bring you optimum success, and energy! Sleeping in your wisdom direction can increase your success at school! It is also best if the headboard is placed on a solid wall and that you can access the bed from both sides (avoid pushing the bed against the wall if possible) Feng Shui Study Room Colors

4. EMF Exposure
Many children these days have TVs, computers and cell phones in their bedrooms, these devices emit electromagnetic frequencies that can be quite harsh and lead to sleep problems, moodiness and possibly depression. Keep these items at least 5 feet away if possible. Add a tourmaline stone beside every one of these devices to help keep negative emissions in check.

5. Can You See What I See?
Your child spends a great deal of their lives tucked away in their rooms. What are they looking at all that time? Try to keep negative images to a minimum and surround your child with family pictures (for comfort and support), pictures of mentors or hero’s to encourage them, and images that are calming to them as individuals. Use colors that encourage positive energies for your child.

6. A Dedicated Study Space
Not everyone has the luxury of creating space in their bedrooms for study. If you have the space, set up a desk and lamp so that your child sees the importance of study – and the dedicated space will convey it loud and clear. If possible the NE corner of the bedroom (with the desk facing out) is ideal. On the south wall display awards, trophies and ribbons that encourage ongoing recognition for your child.

If you don’t have the space within the bedroom – Designate a specific area within the home. If you use your dining room table or kitchen table – carve out a certain time that is dedicated to home work without interruption. Carve out a space in the hallway that may be able to fit a small desk, or be creative and hinge a fold up desk to the wall that can be lowered when necessary. The act of dedicated a space will create importance around the habit. Feng Shui Study Room Colors

In many homes, the attic bedroom is a must, so you want to be sure it has a fantastic design style. But what can you do when the space is very tiny? Fortunately, there are several decorating philosophies available for decorating a small attic bedroom.

There are many styles which you can use in smaller rooms, even still you want to be sure to go with the ones which enhance the features of smaller spaces. Clutter could make even the largest of attics appear small, so having a lot of junk in an already small room will need to be avoided.

When purchasing furniture for your attic room stick with pieces which are diminutive in size. Using underbed storage, instead of bureas, will make a big difference in space, but still allow storage of clothing. All small scaled accessories and furniture could be monotonous and you might want to add interest by decorating with some bigger pieces, so mix your underbed storage, add into your design a big cheval mirror- this can add charm and make the room look larger also.

Choose the colors for the attic room with care because various colors could help make it look larger. If you had always believed that you must keep your smaller rooms painted white, then here is some interesting news for you. You are able to have color and still make the attic room feel larger by using colors which reflect equal brightness, or choosing a monochromatic color palette. So you can paint with all pale blue, or stick to high intensity colors in the same range such as red and orange. You could usually add unique interest and depth to a room by painting one wall a deep, intense hue. For wall shades, pale tones such as blueish gray will provide an overall larger appearance as they give the feel of the walls receding. If you consider gray to be too boring, you can in effect use any cool paint color like green, blue or purple to come up with the same feeling.

Decorating a room with a particular decorating theme in mind could also help to make ideal use of the attics space. Keep in mind designs which allow for a variety of baskets and shelving since these can be used for extra storage. Seeing as this should be a cozy, comfortable space you must ensure to pick a decorating approach you like.

Furniture placement is another thing to consider when decorating a small attic bedroom. If you fancy a decorating style which looks wonderful and also harmonizes your life, think about using Feng Shui when decorating your attic room. Unhindered access into a room can make it seem larger, so put your furniture away from the doors. In most cases, if you can focus the eye on the bigger pieces like a big mirror, it may help the room appear more spacious.

These ideas allow decorating a small attic bedroom to be easy and also effortless. Use your creativity and imagination and you might create a small sized attic room that is big on decorating style in no time.

In order to promote good Chi, you should practice Feng Shui design principles in your home as well as your garden. Normally, these principles are different. But what your garage? Is that considered a part of your home or is it part of your exterior?

This is a good question and the answer is — it depends. To help you determine how to Feng Shui your garage, follow these two simple guidelines.

Guideline 1: If your garage is not attached to your house, you are not bound by Feng Shui principles. A car port is not a garage for example. A garage that is in a separate building or structure also does not count.

Guideline 2: If your garage shares at least one wall with your house, you will need to practice Feng Shui on the garage. For example, if your kitchen opens into your garage, your house shares the wall with the garage.

Here is how to Feng Shui your garage for a prosperous, positive flow of Chi into your home.

Get rid of the clutter. Even if you are new to Feng Shui, you no doubt understand that clutter blocks good Chi. The good news is that you can use open organizational devices in your garage. Things like peg boards and vinyl covered wire ranks are useable in the garage.
Clear space to park your car. You want to be able to park your car inside your garage. Also make sure that you can get in and out of your car with ease. Try not to place the boxes, tools, or other garage items too close to the car door. You don’t want them to topple on you as you get out of your car. Talk about bad Chi if that happens.
Keep the workshop clean. If you use your garage as a workshop, make sure to clean up after each use. Vacuum the floor of shavings and dirt. Put your tools away after each use. Keep your workspace clutter free.
Bring in the light. Natural light is an important part of allowing Chi to flow. Unfortunately, many garages are dark due to the lack of windows. If you can, consider installing windows and/or skylights. You might even install glass panels on your garage door.
Extra measures for the room above the garage. If you have a room above the garage, you need to take extra measures to promote good Chi. Ideally, you should not build a room above the garage according to Feng Shui principles. If you have a bedroom on top of the garage, reflect the bad Chi by placing a mirror under your bed faced down.