Christmas Lights
Mary Angelou said, 'You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas lights'.
Feng Shui the Bathroom
The bathroom is one of the big three rooms; kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. It is interesting that in Feng Shui, this room is seen as one to manage due to water and drainage being aligned with loss of energy and wealth. In Western culture, it is seen as a spa of relaxation and calm. As with the kitchen, first see where it is placed on the Bagua Map as that will help with choosing colours and elements. Don't forget to consider the complimentary elements as well which will help balance the chi energy. My mentor, Clear Englebert, has an
Berlin Renovation – the Kitchen
People who love to eat are always the best people - Julia Child I love to cook but I am not the chef of the house. I am lucky that my husband has taken on that role with a passion for food and all kitchen gadgets. I will never be skinny but I enjoy my food! In each place we have lived the kitchen has been a core feature and according to Feng Shui principles, it is one of the big three areas - the bedroom and bathroom being the other two. Check out my Feng Shui section for
Feng Shui the Kitchen!
You will always find me in the kitchen at parties sang Jona Lewie. The kitchen is one of the top three areas to really manage in the Feng Shui world. It is the area where we nourish ourselves, create food for others and where people love to chat. First see where it is placed on the Bagua Map as that will help with choosing colours and elements. Don't forget to consider the complimentary elements as well which will help balance out the chi energy. Also, don't panic, there are solutions as no kitchen is perfect unless you had it
Christmas is Around the Corner
Christmas for me, offers mixed emotions, poignant memories of childhood and a sense of having lost something and then there are the decorations. A traditional winter Christmas needs lights, colour, magic and a touch of snow. A Southern hemisphere Christmas is all about the beach, summer holidays, a sense of a fizz in the air. Both make sense at each time of the year.
Berlin Renovation
When we moved to Berlin we bought a lovely renovated apartment in a classic old German mansion near stunning lakes. It was beautiful, spacious but lonely. I had worked from home the last couple of years and that was a whole new experience - if you don't have an office to go to, you need to be outside with noise, people, activity and life. After over two years, we decided to move to a more active area. We assumed that we would end up in a similar apartment with high ceilings and classical features within a German style apartment
Feng Shui Expert – Clear Englebert
Clear Englebert - I couldn't practise Feng Shui if I didn't believe in it, and I wouldn't believe in it if I hadn't seen it work. Clear is a well known Feng Shui practitioner whose focus is on demystifying Feng Shui principles through the Form school practice. For more information go to his website, http://fungshway.com which provides a range of advice and knowledge. Clear is also available for global consultation. Welcome Clear, it is great to be able to interview you after all these years! I remember that I picked up your book, Feng Shui Demystified, in a Malaysian bookstore and have followed
Christmas Lights!
It is Narnia again and I am five years old when the Christmas lights go up in the winter darkness. I wish they kept them up for the whole of winter to make some sense of the cold and to offer a hint of magic. I am still searching in the back of old wardrobes!
French Renovation – The Lounge
The lounge is the last part of the tiny French apartment that we needed to decorate. It had the kitchen to one side and a lovely restored stone wall on the other. A key focus was to take advantage of the natural light from the two windows overlooking a traditional French square. We needed to ensure that the colours connected while managing Feng Shui principles. There was a corner in the Relationship sector that needed 'extending' using the practice of a small mirror stating that this wall extended. I love the combination of French and Asian decor mixed with
Gold Water
I sat on a bench on a French beach and watched an autumn sun rise. As it met the horizon, the sea turned in to liquid gold. It is a peaceful sensation where you are warm enough but recognise the soft melancholy cold of winter around the corner. But at that moment, all was right with the world.