Feng Shui

I have given in and the tree is decorated, fairy lights are out and a small fortune has been spent on baubles and decor ready to enter into the Christmas season. Maya Angelou said, "I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights". I am with her. It is a crazy time with so much expectation packed in a few weeks and full of nostalgia, Hollywood movies pressure and the dream of happy families and good cheer. Some stores

This is a very practical post based on recent questions from friends regarding renting a place and managing Feng Shui practices. Some have a house, some an apartment and others, just a room. Not easy to manage and also, most requests are from people on a budget or who are not keen on spending too much money on a temporary space. Start with the owner and ask for permission to make changes, they can always say yes. Many are willing to allow changes and painting within reason as long as the apartment is restored to its former glory for

While some people live in a world of black and white, most of us live in tones of grey, moving across both colours. Some interior designers see black and white as being 'non-colours' and others, as the perfect monochromatic palette. Rooms can look chic, simple and dramatic with the sheer simplicity of the two colours combined. Personally, I immediately itch to add a third colour, lemon, lime, aqua, pink, red or orange; anything to lift the space.   Black is Black Black represents the Water element in Feng Shui. Think gentle flows of emotion and growth and not full-on

"Anything is possible with sunshine and a little pink" said Lily Pulitzer. Pink represents charm, femininity, innocence and romance. A colour that only came in vogue during the 18th century at the French royal courts and by the 1950s, has become associated with women. Feng Shui practice has pink as a shade of red, one of the lucky colours and associated with Fire and all about romance, passion and keeping something alight. It is a popular colour in Southern France and Italy and against the blue skies, offers a sense of sherbet, summer and the sea.   Feng Shui

Sometimes I have to post a practical, straightforward post and this is one of them. Curtains versus blinds. I am on record stating that I prefer blinds any time. They attract less dust, look chic and you can manage the level of light and privacy. We have managed with old curtains the last couple of years due to window styles and once again, we can't have blinds due to metal window frames. So, we are replacing some old curtains in the lounge with ones of better quality. Once you have decided on which way to go, consider what the

Having recently sold an apartment and now looking for a new one, real estate agents are curious about Feng Shui and sceptical at the same time. We have a lovely agent who is fascinated as she reviews why some apartments sell and why some don't. Asking the question, what is Feng Shui is a good start. It translates as wind-water, driving forces in our life energy, Chi. The oldest Chinese Feng Shui versions are complicated and based on ancient philosophy and also ancient architecture and homes! Toilets, as most ardent Feng Shui people know, are considered to be the drain

Wandering around Lisbon for a quick visit, it is clearly an Earth element city. Beautiful tiles, Art Deco architecture and lots of cobble stones! Take a step back and look at where you live. Are you in a Metal element city such as New York, a Wood city with masses of trees around or are you in a Water element city such as Venice with lots of canals or lakes? Even review your local area to see what the general element is and it is likely to demonstrate the related energy. You can then apply Feng Shui practice. What

I love a spa for about thirty minutes and then I have had enough! Perhaps this is why I resonate with the Feng Shui practice of bathrooms not being visible, that don't encourage you to spend time there. This is fortunate, as it is also the least favourite room in our apartment. The tiles are basic and although the room functions, it isn't glamorous like previous bathrooms we have renovated. It was already installed when we bought the place and it looked like a laundry with a shower and toilet. We still wanted to add some kind of design,