Have you ever noticed that you can walk into some homes and they just feel good while other homes, even though they are decorated nicely, just don’t make you feel the way you did in a home like the first one described?
Feng Shui is not a new idea but it has gained popularity in our Western culture over the past few years. My impression is that some take Feng Shui to an almost “religious” level. I don’t get into it that much but I have learned to agree with some of the basic principles of Feng Shui as far as decorating/arranging items in a home is concerned. Several of the agents in my office have taken the time to learn a few things about Feng Shui as added training we can use to enhance our services to our clients in preparing their homes for sale.
The principle behind Feng Shui concerning home decorating has to do with placing objects in a manner so that the positive “Qi” can flow freely through the home. This is something to take into consideration in our everyday lives. If we feel good about our surroundings, we feel good about life. Incorporating Feng Shui into your home’s decor when it is time to stage your home for sale can give you and edge over your competition.
Feng Shui is very indepth and there is too much to it for me to begin to cover it adequately. I am in no way an expert on this subject, but I wanted to touch on a few ideas concerning color and how it can affect our lives and our moods in our homes.
The color Green is nature, it is an earth tone. Green words are: Freshness, growth, peace, comfort, soothing, and balance. Green can be restful and energizing. Too much green can be depressing and is associated with selfishness, laziness, and jealousy.
Red is bold and is considered to induce feelings of wealth and happiness. Red is associated with “fire”. Red words are: bright, luck, strength, joy, motivation, happiness, and love. Too much red is believed to generate anger, fear, and agitation. Red is best used as accents in an otherwise subdued room.
Yellow is associated wtih warmth, motion, friendliness, good luck, joy, wisdom, optimism, insight, creativity, light, flexibility, and cheerfulness. Yellow accentuates natural light which can brighten the soul. In excess, yellow can be overstimulating and irritating and is associated with cowardice and prejudice.
Orange is believed to strengthen concentration and give you a sense of purpose. Orange words are creativity, inspiration, purpose, organization, optimism, confidence, happiness, ambition, energy, and activity. Too much Orange is believed to enhance nervousness and restlessness.
Black symbolizes money and income, and is considered great for careers, hence, it is a good color to use in an office. Combined with metal, it becomes even stronger for business. Black words are emotional protection, power, introspection, absorbant, silent, dramatic, powerful, Black is also associated with death and grief, mystery and the unknown. Excessive black is overwhelming, draining energy and vitality.
White is considered purity. Poise, confidence, calm, harmony, truth, spiritualilty, and divine knowledge are associated with White. Overdone, it can feel unfriendly, unapproachable, and sterile. White can also mean a lack of imagination in home decorating.
Violet is associated with spiritual awareness. Intuition, wisdom, dignity, spiritual awareness, prosperity, aspiration, and motive to do good. Purple has been considered regal or royal. The down side of purple is snobbery and prejudice.
Pink hues signify spiritual completeness, self-respect and awareness, and a sense of contentment. Pink is a symbol of self-respect and self-awareness. Too much can be mentally draining.
Brown is stable and balancing and can create a sense of security. In excess, it can inhibit vitality.
Each color affects us in different ways, each stimulating a different response. The way each color is used in a home can also affect us. If an office has too much blue which is a dreamy color, it can inhibit production. Toning down or playing up colors in your home can help the way you or your home feels and functions.
Have you noticed how many homes have a red front door? Whether these homeowners knew anything about Feng Shui or not, something about a red door makes people happy. Red is considered to induce happiness, love and wealth, all things most of us want in our homes. However, if you have a bright red door and you feel overwhelmed as if your personal time is hard to manage, some consider that the bright red is encouraging the high energy and overstimulation. You may want to try a more subdued red to experiment if that will calm things down a bit. You may even want to try a more tranquil blue.
Feng Shui suggests that we might use warm colors in the living room, dining room and kitchen. Cool colors in bedrooms, bathrooms, and rooms where you might tend to meditate. Neutral or earth colors are best used in transitional areas such as an entryway or hallway. Neutral, earth colors have a unifying influence and can be used anywhere.
Color is only one aspect of Feng Shui but it can be a place to start if you want to bring more balance into your home. People that have a natural knack for decorating may have no training of Feng Shui but they unknowingly sense the basic principles. I think that Feng Shui developed as more of an observance than an art. Someone in the beginning just noticed that some homes have a more positive energy and promote happiness, calm, good health, etc. while other homes seemed negative, chaotic and depressing.
If you are planning to sell your home, you may want to consider what type of energy your home is emitting.
