Did you know that enhancing the Chi (energy) in your home really isn't a mystical thing?  No really, I based my entire time in design school focused on the subject of feng shui, and it can play a big part when it comes to you and your relationship with your space.

So before I give you my top feng shui tips, you need to really understand feng shui and remove any negative stigmas you may have about it. 

​Feng Shui transforms your space to enhance your life. If your energy feels blocked or you want to change course, Feng Shui has the answers.  The other thing I explain to my Client's who use my feng shui services is do not be intimidated by the rules..or I like to refer to them more as tools.

So let's go over my top 5 Feng Shui Tips-
1. Clear out your entryway.
Let the chi (energy) flow right into your home and life by ridding your home’s front entry of obstacles. This also makes guests feel uneasy and anxious when walking through your door.  Remove such things as looming plants or vines, old newspapers, bikes, and toys in your front path may limit the amount of energy entering your home. Clear out anything behind your door for even more benefits.

2.  Position your bed to feel safe, loved, and great. Place your bed in the Command Position (this is a term used in feng shui and is the most auspicious where you feel the most supported) of your bedroom. This spot is the one farthest from the door but where you’re still able to see the doorway and anyone approaching while you’re lying in the bed. Placing your bed in the Commanding Position allows you to be stronger, calmer, and in charge.

3. Cut the Clutter
Remove unnecessary kitchen gadgets from on top of the counters.  Also place children's toys in bins and use shelving wisely.  

4. Throw out broken items
Replace blown light bulbs, throw out broken items, and be ruthless with items that you haven’t used or worn in the last 12 months...get rid of the stuff!!!  If there are repairs that need to be done around the house, fix them!

5. Don't block windows
This is probably my BIGGEST design pet peeve.  Windows and doors help energy flow freely in and out of your home. Don’t place large furniture in front of windows. This allows light to enter your room and look more spacious, as well as keep the feng shui in your room flowing.

What do you find helps you when your trying to balance the energy in your home? Share your feng shui tips!

Personal decorating style: Eclectic. I love mixing many styles to create a cozy and inviting vibe. I want people to feel welcomed when they walk in.

Prized possessions: Artwork that I've collected while traveling. Every town I visit you'll find me in a local gallery or shop picking artwork- my personal more expensive kind of "souvenir". Most of the time it's pottery, statement pieces.

Designer who inspires me: Elsie De Wolfe. She was wild for her time, in every sense of the word. her attitude, her style, and her designs. She had it all. The best clients...The best- best- best! but, she hadn't found the love of her LIFE- that could give her- LOVE or in lieu of that detail, the House of her DREAMS! So she did it her damn self!

Color I couldn’t design without: Gray is such a perfect neutral for mixing in any other colors. It takes on a different life every time you pair it with something new.

Design element I love to incorporate into a space: Cowhide. It’s my signature move in most spaces I design. The texture element will hide just about anything you throw at it, and the pattern is neutral enough that I can easily mix it with different patterns in the room’s other textiles. It can be classy, rustic, eclectic...it just goes with anything!

Cool design trend of the moment: Driftwood and gold. The gray/light-brown wood look that is so hot right now falls right in line with my design tip of buying things that are already the color of dirt and dust.
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Favorite rooms to design: My specialty is designing authentic spaces that bring families together. The design and décor of a room will inevitably influence the way a family interacts, so there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping families get the most out of their space so they can spend more time together having fun, but most of all having it reflect them- not some cookie cutter bullshit out of a magazine. Boring!

I was excited to hear about authentic design taking place in the corporate world, AKA commercial spaces. It seems as though for decades we’ve stuck to the traditional modern mid-century design in commercial spaces. 

In order to stay competitive with millennials, the more authentic approach to our workspaces seems to be what they’re yearning for. Designer Brigette Preston said it best, in a recent article for WorkDesign Magazine.  

“This generation wants a career that offers a sense of purpose and contributes to the greater good. Given this reality, workplace designers should consider how the workspace can embody these goals and how they can visually be represented in the space.”

I love this; as we have to seen an increase in our own Clients who hire as for commercial space design. It is important for them as well, in wanting to keep this concept in order to make their clients feel welcome and employees feel more productive in their space.

As these younger Generations enter the workforce, we see the importance of authentic inspired design in our work spaces, a shift from what we’ve seen in the past. Moving away from the contemporary modern design, often leaving people feeling cold when entering; I’m excited to see elements with a wood floors, stone accents, warm colors, and plant-inspired materials — leveraging a palette that leads to positive biophilic responses. ​