Feng Shui Prosperity in the New Year

Prosperity in the New Year
By
Cheryl Grace

“Bloom where you are planted”
—Unknown

The Chinese New Year for 2011 begins on Thursday, February 3rd and therefore an additional opportunity to initiate good prosperity in the New Year. Wherever you call home, no matter if it’s one room, an apartment, or a house, it’s necessary to create your ideal sanctuary to restore your energy and give you a base of support. Don’t postpone happiness by living constantly in a “temporary” state.

As the number of houses for sale in Sarasota County grows, homeowners are frustrated that they cannot sell their house or be able to downsize to a more manageable home. Realtors have shared that some homes are simply priced too high or that the market is flooded with an abundance of affordable properties, making this a buyers market. If you are unable to sell your home or you simply want to live in a more desired environment, home staging may be for you.

Feng Shui uses age-old methods for creating an environment that is brings simple elegance and easy living into your space. You want to be able to come home to a place of serenity and tranquility after a hectic and stressful day. We are all aware of our human comfort zones and what makes us feel good. Your home is either contributing to your energy level or zapping your spirit. Everyone space can benefit from an optimum balance of colors, shapes, textures, lighting and ultimate arrangement of your furniture, artwork and accessories. It’s natural for us to seek new ways to achieve a sense of balance in our lives and redecorating your home is fun!

Remember a time when you were shopping for a home and toured model homes? The goal of a model home is to help a prospective buyer to be able to imagine how furniture, artwork and accessories would be arranged in a particular floor plan. This is the essence of home staging. Less is more and living with less automatically improves energy flow throughout the living space.

The best place to start with your own home make-over is with the view from the curb. When you approach your home, does it invite you to come in? If your yard and entryway are poorly maintained or if it lacks color and personality, you already feel wilted upon arrival. Your front door is the mouth of “chi” or prosperity and therefore is one of the most important influences of your home. All good fortune comes through your front door, so it is important to use your front door on a daily or on a weekly basis at a minimum. Don’t rely on a secondary entrance to bring restorative energy into the home.

A traditional Feng Shui cure is to paint the front door red, as this color represents the fire element to help manifest abundance and blessings entering your home. If painting your door red is not desirable or allowed in a community, add red flowers or colorful pots to raise the energetic influence. Alternate paint colors for the door are darker colors such as black, or natural wood. Avoid clear glass as the energy sweeps into the home and dissipates at a faster pace. In addition, there can also be a sense of unease when approaching a glass door, as a stranger will startle you without a solid barrier between the two of you.

The next most important area is the entryway or foyer to your living space. Keep the area spacious and decorated with your personal touch, as this is an opportunity for all who enter to learn about the owners’ personality and the character of the home. Traditionally, the most prized artwork is hung in the entryway to welcome all guests. To boost and circulate energy around architectural design elements, hang a round, multi faceted 40mm crystal from the ceiling just past the doorway.

Each room in your home should reflect your unique style and treasures and not be where the furniture lives and you don’t! To give your home a facelift room by room, begin by taking all the furniture out of one room that you use the most, and apply a fresh coat of paint. If it is time to replace the floors or add new lighting fixtures, this is the opportunity to enhance the value of your home. Now you can evaluate each piece of furniture to see if is truly something you love and at the same time is comfortable and safe. If not, pay it forward by donating it to a charitable organization or furniture consignment shop. Keep in mind that by eliminating something that no longer serves you, you are making room for something new to enter in all aspects of your life, not just the family room!!

For the very reason that your accessories and collections convey the detail of your personal taste and style, choose everything in your home with great care. Photos and artwork should reflect your fondest memories and not be associated with anything remotely negative. Everything is alive with energy and therefore, interconnected to your life and spirit. You want to have each and every room in your home and all of its contents to fully support who you are today and the natural growth of your best self.

If you have a question on how to redecorate your home and improve your life using Feng Shui principles, email ggRedecorating@yahoo.com or send your question to Natural Awakenings Magazine, c/o Cheryl Grace, and your question may be featured in a future article.

Cheryl Grace is a professional Feng Shui consultant, nationally certified Interior Refiner, and the winner of the 2008-2009-2010 Natural Choice Award for Favoritie Feng Shui Practitioner. Call 941-400-3816. Visit www.ggRedecorating.com.