How to Create Small Spaces with Interior Fashion FENG SHUI MALLORY NEEVE WILKINS
SMALL SPACES using FENG SHUI Designing small spaces is no easy trick! but the secret to great design is to always remember that the main large pieces in the small room should blend into the wall colour. It is a known fact that medium to dark colours close the space in, making it feel smaller. This blending allows the energy to ow, meander throughout the space. By coordinating the background wall colour with the furnishings, it creates a restful room. This also allows the space to take on your personality and visually creates a larger area. Just by changing your accessories from one theme, i.e. reds/greens to another of black/whites, you are free to create a space suitable to your moods. A winter look and a summer look can easily be created by alternating your decorative pieces. Colour coordinated simple side-panel drapes; a oral arrangement and accent pillows will transform the whole look of a small space ~ as long as the main larger furnishings are blending into the background wall colour. By using complementary shapes, materials and colours, good Feng Shui is accomplished.
** Keep your pillows (on your small sofa) to one side, always allowing empty space on the other side for new positive energy to enter. This also reduces the clutter-look. Good Fun Schway!! What is a Feng Shui facelift? Vancouver Condo Interior Decorating Living spaces are getting smaller and smaller, especially for those people living in cities. The art of Feng Shui facelift, living in harmony with your environment can solve a lot of problems when one is limited in space. This special Vancouver condo has a tiny living room area of only 158 sq ft. To create a sense of harmony and balance for the fashion-conscious homeowner, a mono-chromatic colour scheme was selected to combine the traditional furnishings with a modern outlook. The small space lacked storage which has been overcome by selecting a large ottoman that opens up for multi uses, and has a Naugahyde nish for durability. This helps to remove visible clutter that triggers negative energy. The large surface provides ample space as a coffee table unit.
Decorative pattern window-panels have been designed to enhance the oorceiling windows and create a unique backdrop stage for the comfortable seating and media area and creates balance by taking the lower dark colours of the room and raising them vertically to the ceiling. Neutral coloured white-sand walls, sofa and carpeting are topped with basic accessories. The Feng Shui meandering placement of furnishings allows for positive energy to ow into the space. Having an armless sofa can easily be tucked across a corner creating the illusion of a much larger room. Because it is a neutral colour tone, it blends into the wall and oor colour giving the feeling of open space. Feng Shui regards empty corners as space lling with stagnant energy; therefore a potted plant is placed behind the angled sofa. *Too much glass within a unit such as high-rise condos can cause vulnerability but selective window coverings can reduce this effect. *Always place a life element such as plants, owers or a tree in the southeast corner to encourage prosperity into the wealth sector of the room. *A wise homeowner knows to encourage positive energy with splashes of red in the south and southwest sectors of a room for strong relationships. *When the background walls, sofa, carpet and window blinds are kept in the same neutral colour tones, there is lots of options for strong accent accessories, such as the large wing chair, storage unit, ottoman etc. When a condo or studio has limited storage, like most apartments do, group colour coordinated pieces of furniture together to appear as one unit.
Red in the southwest for relationships. Feng Shui Decorative fabrics: same colours, different patterns. Small space storage grouped together in tiny condo.
What does it take to create a calm zen-feeling in your favourite room? Although I have been working in the design/build industry for over 25 years, one of the most requested things asked of me, is to re-evaluate a client s space u s ing feng shui applications. They are not interested in new purchases, renovating or decorating, but are feeling a need for change without a huge expense. There may be a speci c area in their personal life which needs correction. By recommending alterations, the ow of energy will change. There may be a need to improve their health, relationship or career among other things. More often than not, the problem is that the ow of energy is being blocked by objects and unable to reach the occupant, or by the time it does, it could have turned from positive to negative because of the many interruptions (objects) in the way of its meandering path. By taking a closer look at the example photograph, we can see that to create a smoother ow of healing energy, there must be less to keep the ch i owing smoothly. Reduce the visual clutter.
Starting with the ooring, you can see the hardwood, a large carpet topped with a smaller rug. This is too much, too busy and needs to be reduced so it does not slow down the flow. The fabric on the corner wing-chair is matching the drapes, which is an excellent idea, but looking over at the sofa, there are too many pillows in several different patterns or materials creating erratic energy. The throw over the arm of the sofa should be removed. It is not that these items are wrong, it is that they are introducing more instead of less. The less number of objects in a room, or the less number of colours/patterns will allow the energy to stay positive with less items to hit on its way to the occupant. Everything (objects) in the path of the ow, reduces its strength from positive to negative, as if each item that the energy bumps into will bruise it, or reduce its healing ability by weakening it. You may not see the ow of energy, just as you cannot see electricity or the wind, but you know it exists. It s not that you can have accessories, it is that they should be colour coordinated to blend into the background so not to jump out. As you can see, there is an ottoman upholstered in yet another pattern/colour. To create a healthy home, calm and zen-like, less is best. There are too many piles of books on the end-table/stools at each side of the sofa, and on the trunk (coffee table) all in the way of the meandering ow. It is recommended that 3 items on a table is ample, as there should be 50% clear space on all flat surfaces.
As for the bookcase, colour co-ordinate the bookcovers so all the whites sit together vertically and horizontally. (Keep the cover colours together, the same as you should do in your clothes closet; colour co-ordination). This bookcase appears too busy, cluttered when all the colours and shapes are mixed. There also needs to be open space on the shelves so the energy can meander in and out of the area. A mixture of textures, (wood, ceramic, metal, etc) is a good thing. The above recommendations are for improvements in one s life when a correction is needed. Even changing the position of the artwork on your walls can alter the flow of healing energy. Feng Shui Interiors how to use shapes, colours and materials to enhance your home, office and environment for all ages. Reference Book: Fun Schway Interiors North American Feng Shui Mallory Neeve Wilkins, Feng Shui Interior Designer
Living with positive energy. It is a time when we are literally in an age of change, and are feeling the need to be surrounded by nice things, good friends, healthy environment and positive energy. This is a topic that presents itself in the willingness to consult with others and research for the best you can nd in just about everything that comes your way. The point is you know when you don t want to go into a certain restaurant to eat, or purchase a speci c item or even a home your reason is that it doesn t feel right and you just don t like its energy. The place, item or situation just doesn t resonate with you. But, why for what reason? And so we ask. It lacks balance. There is no harmony, comfort or visual appeal. It is lacking good Feng Shui... the feeling, flow of positive energy is not there for you. The importance is that all healing comes from within you and from within your environment. You can hold on to success or attract it when the energy of your environment is in balance, and then your creativity ows, your health improves, and medications react differently. Anyone can read another book, take another pill, walk another mile, but if your personal space is lacking, then you are not receiving the maximum bene t of it all which can affect your relationships, career, health and prosperity.
The photo in the example shows a room that is bottom heavy in colour, therefore lacking balance. Correction? The photo frames would be more in keeping if all of them were nished in a dark colour, which would improve the room s energy, creating balance by raising the dark tones... uplifting. Notice the lack of the life element. There appears to be no sign of it. Greenery is an important element (wood) to every room, as plants help eliminate toxins from the off-gassing of the surrounding materials which encourage poor health. The wood elements can be added in the form of artwork, fabrics or plants/ owers as well as wooden sculptures. Sharp edges also cut the ow of meandering positive energy within a space. Notice the corner of the brick wall. This point is aiming right onto the back of the person who sits in the sofa. Also, the sharp corners around the window ( re element) also aim at the person who sits on the sofa. This negative can be reduced or softened with the addition of oor plants behind the sofa. Round leaves on plants are better than sharp edges. All these sharp edges are referred to as poison arrows in the study of feng shui and you should be aware of them within your space. There are ve shapes to include in your awareness of feng shui living in harmony with your environment round/oval; vertical; horizontal; square/rectangle and meandering. These shapes combined within the overall visual will encourage the flow of mystical, positive energy. Whenever things in your life are not going your way, or are not the best they can be then change in your environment is required. This change of altering and removing or adding will shift the ow of ch i (energy) and corrections will follow.
Reference Book How-to: Ancient Secrets for a Healthy Home Mallory Neeve Wilkins, Feng Shui Interior Designer Mallory's Design with Feng Shui MORE EASY STEPS TO CREATE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IN ALL SPACES Learn more