Wind and Water Feng Shui Consulting

September 2013

Decorating & Feng Shui

Early autumn has arrived here in the northern hemisphere and with it the cooler drier weather. Governed by the Earth element, autumn is the season of the harvest and movement inward. In Feng Shui, it represents the center of a building, village or country and the transformation that eases us from one season to another.

Autumn is the time for gathering ideas, collaborating and making preparations for winter. We step indoors, turning our attention to the structures that protect us, and feather our nests for warmth, comfort and solace. As the seasons change, I'm often asked for advice on home and office décor while consulting with clients on the Feng Shui of their properties. I love partnering with them on these details and always offer the same advice:

Your surroundings should accurately reflect who you are, where you have been and where you are going. This is your story.

This is true for both living and work spaces and the design details in both areas should go beyond the colors or themes that are in vogue at the moment. Your environment should nurture you, your family, employees and customers, not advance someone else's idea of how it should look. There are so many outlets today for decorating ideas and trends that I fear people are homogenizing their thinking, limited by what's expected, advertised or commercially fashionable. Remember, suggestions by well intended experts often reflect their own agenda, not yours, and may actually carry you off course. Your own story is much more interesting.

I recently dined at the home of an artist friend whose surroundings are a reflection of her creative and inspired life. Every room in her warm and eclectic home contains unique furniture and pieces she either lovingly created or collected along the way, telling a story that grows richer with each visit. I'm awed by the home of a childhood friend, an international corporate executive, accomplished tennis player and marathon runner. His beautiful modern home has a room containing all the medals, photos and interesting memorabilia he collected over years of competition. I love spending time there and listening to his stories.