Newsletter: Sale, Event, Bedroom Redesign, Heated Flooring

March 2012

Welcome to Metropolitan Interiors

Greetings,

Spring is nearly here and we at Metropolitan Interiors are excited for that, and for all that we've been busy with lately. Most importantly, that we're celebrating 20 Years in Business with our Anniversary Sale! If you haven't seen the details - 20% off select lines - please contact us today. The sale ends March 28, 2012. It's a BIG DEAL for us, so don't miss this BIG DEAL for you!

This newsletter features after photos and details of a wonderful bedroom redesign project. Be sure to read about it below. Also, I'm often asked if heated floors are good feng shui for a home. My teacher, Carole Hyder gives her expert opinion about it in the second article below.

If you're interested in new flooring, or another redesign "spruce" for this spring, please contact us. We're eager to take on your redesign projects, whether entire rooms or just updating a few elements.

And lastly, I'll be at the Water, Wisdom and Well-Being Event presented by Experiencing TOSCA on March 24, 2012. Don't miss my presentation "Fun" Shui 101: Wellness in Living. Overall it will be a fun event - find all the details below.

Warmest Regards,

Julie Ann Segal

Experiencing TOSCA presents:

Water, Wisdom & Well-Being

2-5 pm Saturday, March 24, 2012
Grain Belt Bottling House Atrium

79-13th Avenue N.E. Minneapolis, MN

Event Details

To Register

A Dolled-Up Makeover

With this sophisticated guest room makeover, Julie Ann truly gives new meaning to the expression "dolled up".

Not only did she highlight her client's daughter's impressive doll collection, but she also combined soft, feminine and natural touches for a serene, Zen-like ambiance. "We started with a completely clean slate. With the exception most of the dolls, everything in this room is new." Julie Ann explains.

The bedroom set has a unique finish with greys, silvers and an undertone of brown. The custom bedding is rich in texture and detail. Custom throw pillows are comfy yet luxurious, with an embroidered, sheer fabric over a solid purple background. Beautiful pillow trim creates an elegant overall look.

Using dolls as accents was a delightful challenge! They have a very personal significance to the client's 17-year-old daughter, so using them as the focal point was meaningful. Accessorizing with Asian elements such as floral arrangements and artwork (with cherry blossoms in particular*) gives the room the authentic, cultural feel that Mary was striving to achieve, and lets the beauty of nature in.

The window treatments add charm and style with the beaded edges

on the cornice. A new ceiling fan allows guests to have all the accoutrements of relaxation. A storage bench at the end of the bed serves many purposes - pleasing to the eye, storage for extra pillows and blankets, and a place to sit and enjoy the details of this unique room.

With the combination of the dolls, finishes and Asian accents, mission was accomplished as this dressy and vacation-like escape awaits its first guest!

*In Feng Shui cherry blossoms are a symbol of longevity, and they create a balance of Yin/Yang energies, bringing harmony and success. They're also associated with love, and are often used for enhancing relationship and bedroom Feng Shui.

Radiant Floor Heating:

Good Feng Shui or Bad?

By Carole Hyder

A question was sent to me this week wondering if radiant floor heating is a good idea or not, based on Feng Shui.

Coming from a northern state (MN) where our winters can be pretty brutal, walking on a heated floor is a true gift. There is a debate about whether the heat coming from the floor heats the rest of the room or not, but I know if my feet are warm I'm okay regardless of the ambient temperature.

That said, there are some specifics that subscribe to what I'd call "good" Feng Shui. There are two ways to heat a floor-using electricity or using hot water. We prefer the latter in an effort to eliminate possible influence of electromagnets (EMFs). The water method heats up the water in a boiler and runs it through flexible tubing installed in the subfloor or on the ceiling below.

If we look at the elements involved in the water radiant system there are basically two: water and fire (the heat). Based on the Chinese 5 Elements, these two are in a destructive cycle (water Schwieter residence controls fire), so both are energetically weak.

Although we discourage people from living over moving water, this typically refers to living on stilts over a lake or having a stream run under your home, specifically under the bedroom. The small amount of water meandering under the floor would not pose a problem.

So for those of you who are suffering from cold feet this winter, go ahead-heat the floor. But do it with the heated water system.

Another consideration could be whether having the water/fire system run through areas of the house where wood or earth or metal are found might present an Element clash. In other words, if a fireplace is placed in a wood area, it compromises that area (fire destroys wood). If a fountain is installed in an earth area, there could be a challenge in the earth area (water muddies up the earth).

Again, due to the fact that the heating elements are "soft" (gentle flow of water and moderate fire), there is no problem wherever this system is placed.