Catherine

Another person's trash is another person's treasure. It isn't easy to declutter, particularly if you have some lovely items that no longer suit your lifestyle or decor. I have recently become a fan of Marie Kondo, https://konmari.com although I suspect I will give up on the folding sooner rather than later! Her decluttering system partners well with Feng Shui principles of letting go and releasing energy to allow new energy in. Having moved countries and homes, I know how difficult it is to part with beautiful furniture, ornaments and clothes but it can be done. Feng Shui views clutter or a

With balconies or conservatories, they are considered as part of the house or apartment Bagua map, when attached to a building wall. A key Feng Shui practice is to mentally 'push the attached wall out' to include the balcony or patio as part of that area through decorating. Here is what this means. Our Berlin apartment balcony was in part of the Relationship corner and a small mirror was placed in the inside window of the bedroom wall that is next to the balcony and we stated that "this mirror expands the wall to include the balcony". Look at

The main bedroom is one of the big three - kitchen, bathroom and master bedroom. These are the rooms that are generally most used and have the most Chi passing through. At this time, we were redecorating our main Berlin apartment bedroom and it was in the Relationship corner. What is interesting is the lack of choice for bed linen and there is a business design opportunity here! The choices seem to be masculine navy/claret stripes or checks, girly flowers or hotel white chic. Not easy to find linen that both partners are comfortable with which also has the

The lounge or living room is a central meeting area for the whole house or apartment. It should showcase your taste and style while being welcoming and inviting. With Feng Shui principles, it has the same focus. Our apartment moves in to our lounge quickly so different areas have been 'zoned' with furniture, lights and colour to match the Bagua map. With this kind of apartment space, it is important to ensure the centre is uncluttered and has warm tones that match the earth element. We have a wool earth-coloured rug under a glass (water) and metal coffee table.