“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language” (Henry James). I am with him. Europe is hitting high temperatures in July and the beaches are full of umbrellas, suntan oil, seagulls and people soaking in the vitamin D on the sea. It is hot and everything has to slow down as we do a shoe shuffle walking to anywhere and everywhere. Suddenly blues, aquas and anything to do with fish and the sea is showing up in interior design. Readers of this blog will know that Feng Shui practice sees these as symbols of water and emotions, to be used carefully and not be thrown around, especially in the bathroom. There are alternatives with fruit, olives, and other symbols that can be added to update your space for a summer feel.
Feng Shui First
Anything to do with lemons, oranges, fruit in general, olives and wood are all about growth and the Wood element. Use the Bagua map to decorate. Colours of green and purple are about abundance, lemons represent yellow which is the Earth element. Red, pink and orange are the Fire elements and are for the Relationship corner and Career sector. White is all about honesty and the Metal element; adding anything wood is not recommended as it is cut down by the Metal element. However; don’t forget the 5-element cycle. If it is balanced with all five elements carefully represented, then the space can truly blend in to the summer feel.
Current Trends
Rattan? Not a fan. It often smells and gets dirty and ragged quickly. Feng Shui sees it as dead plants and dead grass representing…death! Cane is different as it is more structured like wood. We have two lovely Bahama cane chairs in our living room adding a cool 1950s vibe to a melange of Asian lamps and French decor. Tropical green is fashionable which can lend a gentle nod to the beach with soft linens, cushions and Middle Eastern food. Today, we have friends coming for lunch for Lebanese dishes. Aromatic burnt yellow spices mixed with red pomegranate seeds, honey, halloumi, grilled purple eggplant and green peppers finished with a watermelon salad and a shot of a friend’s homemade limoncello. Then we will rest as the sun dips and all is right with the world for this moment.
