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Feng Shui – What is it, and how you can apply some of its simple principles to your home – by Ana Popovici Design

At Ana Popovici Design our core belief is that our homes should feel as good as they look. As Peter Zumthor has also put it in his book Atmospheres ‘I enter a building, see a room and, in a fraction of a second, I have this feeling about it…’ Experiences are largely based on emotion and as emotional beings, we are automatically drawn by our intuition and the way we feel and experience a space

Natural Materials

Natural materials are also something that we feel a strong connection with, as they mimic the natural environment, and they can have a personality of their own. I think organic materials like wood exemplify those properties. When you touch wood, it seems to be alive and breathing. The intricate grain patterns tell a story. Materials have indeed a language of their own and they change character with the passing of time. By embracing their imperfections you can find beauty in unexpected places.

With this in mind, we approach our projects from a holistic perspective centred on well-being, and we apply principles of classical Feng Shui to create flow and alignment, so our clients feel balanced  and can thrive in their homes. Each place has its own energy, in Feng Shui is known as Qi- the life force found in everything that surrounds us starting from plants, animals to places.

What is Feng Shui

Feng Shui is all about the art of harnessing the Qi in order to create harmonious surroundings. 

Although Feng Shui can be quite a complex system with many different schools and specific calculations, our aim in this article is to touch upon some basic principles to help you gain a better understanding and give you some practical insights of how you can implement it in your home.

A design decision can lead to Qi with less ideal qualities, therefore these are aspects that we consider straight from the beginning when we start a new project in order to achieve a positive outcome. Some of these factors are referring to the importance of a positive environment. What does that mean and how it can be achieved?

Front Door & Hallways

According to Feng Shui the front door is being considered one of the most important areas in a home for obvious reasons. It is through the main entrance that a house allows the Qi to enter, so this should not be obstructed by large foliage, trees or lamp posts. 

The entrance hall itself should be as wide and airy as possible with plenty of natural light. For dark spaces with not many sources of light we allow space for ambient lighting during the design process.

Also, long hallways can be another source of bad Feng Shui. When you have a long, narrow hallway, the Qi can rush down the hallway, rather than having a circular motion and collecting in your home. You can slow down and break up the Qi for a long narrow hallway with artwork on the walls, side tables if the space allows or radiator covers. This creates a distraction for the Qi, or places where the energy can stop along the hallway.

Kitchen

The kitchen represents health in Feng Shui. If the stove is located in a place filled with positive Qi, the food cooked will also be healthy and nutritious. For this reason, one of the things considered unfavourable in Feng Shui is to locate the stove on the kitchen island. In this case the cooked food is being exposed to Qi from all angles and this may cause health issues in the future. The ideal place to locate the stove would be on a surface that is connected to a wall, as this denotes stability.

Also, the kitchen contains both the Water Element (the sink) and the Fire Element (the stove). This two elements clash against each other, so in order to avoid that, the sink and the stove must be kept separately and placed at considerable distance from each other.

Bedroom

The type of Qi that affects the bedroom is important for your overall well-being. If your energy levels are low due to disrupted sleep, it may affect your work performance in the long run.

To encourage a restful sleep the headboard of the bed will be positioned ideally against a solid wall that is not in line with the bedroom door. Also, in order to provide support, the bedside tables will be placed on each side of the bed.

A wall is considered a Yin feature, and sleeping is also a Yin activity and by placing the bed under a window, which is a Yang feature in Feng Shui will result in an unbalanced sleep pattern.

Another thing to consider to allow a positive Qi in your bedroom it that it must be kept free of clutter.

Living Room

In order to allow the Qi to flow within the space, the circulation area must be kept free of furniture items or other objects that can cause disruption.

Also, the furniture must be in proportion with the room and ideally the sofa will be position against a solid wall in order to provide support and stability. 

Additional things that can create a chaotic current of Qi is having too many doors and windows, so it would be ideal if this can be avoided during a new build space planning.

Tips to keep your space energetically aligned

  • Keep your space clutter free and try to recycle as much as possible of the unwanted items
  • Repair broken objects and plumbing
  • “Poison arrows” in Feng Shui is a sharp projecting corner or structure (man-made or natural) that can cause negative Qi formation. This can be softened by introducing another element that will interfere with or neutralize the negative elements
  • Heavy beams can feel oppressive, so whenever possible avoid positioning furniture items underneath

To conclude, a calming, tranquil and harmoniously aligned interior can be as beneficial for our overall well-being as food and exercise is for our bodies.

This was a guest blog feature from Ana Popovici Interior Design. You can visit their website here: https://www.anapopovici.co.uk/

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