Many of my friends have discussed the struggles the world is currently experiencing and know we are blessed to live in a peaceful country. There is sometimes a sense of feeling helpless and being, like many, unable to cope with the world out there and needing to retreat to manage our immediate place, our ‘village’. At the same time, interior design and homeware stores highlight the trends of eco-products, recycling and bringing nature and organic aspects in to our homes to create a space of inner balance.
Knock on Wood
When I studied art, I saw a wonderful documentary asking a child to draw nature and they instantly drew a tree. The point is that a tree is a symbol of our connection to the earth. In our past Berlin apartment and in summer, the balcony was surrounded by lovely silver birches whispering across the breeze and squirrels ran up the trees on to the rails to demand hazelnuts. It was like living in a treehouse surrounded by the sounds of nature and life.
Another friend actually rubs huge trees as she believes they give you a natural immunity and the sense of connecting with our planet. Consider the varieties of wood and other plants to use and which one resonates with your sense of nature. Soft honey pines, dark and rich mahogany, gentle bamboo or solid, rich oak. We have a lovely French farmhouse table in a soft pear wood and it has travelled around with us, offering a sense of history and continuity. Many a dinner has been set for night of conversation and sharing of food. The table also doubled as my work station and I have loved spreading work across the woodgrain. Wood is naturally soothing and there is a reason that wood floors opposed to carpets are considered appealing. Check the sections on the Wood element on why we resonate with this important part of nature.
There are many places where you can buy reclaimed wood beams, railway sleepers and recycled pieces from old homes. In a past home, our fire place had an ugly old mission brown wood mantlepiece. We stripped it and revarnished it to bring out the rich grain of the oak. In another French apartment, lovely old beams lined the ceiling but these are not a positive Feng Shui element so they were whitewashed and they still added a sense of style and age to the room. For final thoughts consider Paul Coelho’s quote, ”In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.”
Calling Earth
The Earth element can be seen in soft sand tones of beige and caffe latte colours. I love these colours as they remind me of the sea and summer. However; it is best to avoid the muddy, khaki colours as they are just depressing. Soft cafe latte stone tiles on the floor in the bathroom are gentle on the feet and can offer a sense of grounding as can a renovated stone wall. Ceramic jugs and pottery can add a lovely earthy touch without costing a lot and come in a range of colours that suit the different Bagua sectors. Or go wild with the lovely bright Tuscan or Portuguese tiles in bright yellows, reds and blues and against a white or cream wall, they add a touch of summer.
Fabrics & Pattern
There are some wonderful linens, cottons, wool and silks but they can be expensive. A friend is currently focusing on how we are buying cheap polyester clothes and homewares that not bio-degradable. Check out labels before you buy. I have bought cheap cotton bedlinen, cushion covers and towels in Zara Home and other interior decor sales and they instantly offer a fresh new look to a bedroom, bathroom or living room.
Plants and Flowers
Feng Shui practice sees dried flowers and wood as representing old and dead energy. Look around as there are wonderful and inexpensive silk and cotton flowers you can buy. If you are able to grow plants, create a herb garden or add plants to offer a sense of green to your space. Not being great gardeners, we have used a vintage plant holder frequently with different annual pot plants in spring moving to bright summery colours as the days warm up. It gives an instant lift and makes me smile to see a bumblebee hovering over the flowers looking for a landing pad. It is just a touch of the outdoors and reminds us of our roots. As E. M. Forster said. ”What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?”
