architecturally speaking
responses to life at that point in time. While there is sometimes no right or wrong in the decisions we make, the environment we live in can and does affect the way we feel and act, thereby influencing our choices and our decisions. As a feng shui practitioner and practicing architect,
KEY DESIGN IDEAS A
s the New Year approaches, we reflect on the past and look to the future, coming to understand that the decisions we make and the actions we take depend on our emotional
I share with you here some easy design ideas to improve the space around you. These will not just give your home a new feel; they will also help you live exactly the kind of life you are looking for. Truly, your environment affects your mindset and your actions far more than you may believe.
TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFESTYLE
Allow the Energy to Flow Freely Clutter tends to be a huge problem in every household. The more we live, the more we collect; and we tend to have a habit of collecting things we don’t ever need again. Go through your entire collection and force yourself to spring clean your environment. By clearing your space, you allow your home to
breathe and create this vital circulation space that allows the energy to move through the home, thereby creating a sense of freedom and sensation to grow, allowing you to achieve your goals.
Select Materials Carefully & Thoughtfully In every project I build, I look at new materials that excite me and think of how it can better a person’s life. Within the home, the main components that visually attract us are the flooring, the walls and the ceiling. For the ceiling, look at how different patterns and change in height affect the intimacy of the space, as well as our sensation within the space. For the floor area, different materials create different visual effects such as the combination of timber and marble, or tiles, carpet patterns and texture. In my latest project, I looked at ways to treat the wall
design. To create tonal effect, we can use wallpaper coverings to introduce texture as well as colour shifts to highlight certain areas or to enhance the softness of the space. Taking it to a new level of thinking - how about
Reinvent Yourself Your lifestyle describes ‘who you are’. If you feel the need to change your life, look around your home and shift the furniture around to cater for a new lifestyle. Surround yourself with visuals of what you want to achieve or what you wish for. If you want to be an artist, paint or sculpt and display your work as the main centerpiece in the most used part of your home, as this will remind you throughout the year of the goals you want to attain. If you want wealth, display money or symbols of wealth around the home. If
it is love and romance you want, display
elements of romance or pictures that instantly remind you of a feeling of being wanted, of love and happiness. To do well in your studies, place photos of people who inspire you to remind you of their success and what it is that portrays them as an icon.
the paint that we use? While we are typically concerned about colours of the paint, consider the effect of how the building material would affect our life literally. One of the concerns about paint is its lifespan. Over time, exterior paint tends to attract dirt and stains, resulting in an unsightly eyesore within the home. And it is when your home starts to look grubby that you start to feel exhausted and drained of energy. So through research and testing, we have managed to introduce a paint that not only resists dirt and stains but also helps to improve the air that surrounds us, reducing heat gain and offering a non-volatile organic compound (VOC) that then improves personal health.
76 FENGSHUIWORLD | JAN/FEB 2011
www.fswmag.com
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