Archive for the Feng Shui and color

Have you ever heard that mirrors are the ‘aspirin’ of Feng Shui? Well, for me, the fail-safe tool for many situations is COLOR!

Color is my favorite Lifestyle Feng Shui® enhancement. I use it everywhere!

Color is the fastest way to completely change the way a space looks and feels. You can create a space that feels e-x-p-a-n-s-i-v-e, or a space that feels intimate. You can create a space that feels warm or cool. You can use pops of color to accent and enhance any area of your home.

But, color doesn’t begin with the walls, or the art or the accents in your home; color begins with you. Your first personal environment is you, and color can work with you or it can work against you. Color can bring your energy up and make you feel good or it can deplete your energy and leave you feeling tired and washed out.

Today’s video is all about COLOR – it’s everywhere you look!

© 2012 Harmony Life Design®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Lifestyle Feng Shui™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com

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This week’s blog post is in Q & A format. I received a great question about the color white, sheets and Feng Shui that I’d like to share with you.

Q = I’m confused. I just read that it’s ‘bad’ to have white sheets as they represent death, is that true?

A = Colors have different meanings in different cultures. Cultural associations are very specific and rarely translate directly from one culture to the next. It’s best to adapt these types of statements to fit the culture you are in.

In China, white is the color used for a death shroud. Here, black is used as death shroud and white has a completely different association. Here, white is pristine, the color of virtue and cleanliness.

But in both cases, each color is also used in daily life with no association to death at all. Like most things, meaning is something we assign, it isn’t inherent.

When it comes to color, the best way to choose is to choose a color that ‘feels’ good to you. The color of sheets should support rest and relaxation. Mid-tones, pastels and some earth-tones are best. Bright colors are energetic and can be counter productive to rest and relaxation.

Keep the function of the bedroom in mind, when choosing colors choose colors that you find comfortable, colors that support rest and relaxation and you’ll be fine.

For more information about bedrooms and Feng Shui, click here.

© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com

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Why does practically every Feng Shui book say my front door should be red?

In Feng Shui, front doors are the place where opportunity enters your world. They play a critical part in the dynamic energy of your home.
I once read that if a home was a one-man show, the front door would play the lead. Why? In the home, the door does it all. It provides protection from the elements, safety for the inhabitants and as the entrance to your home it also creates a sense of welcome by setting the tone.

Red is color associated with vitality, excitement, passion, intensity and action.

In Feng Shui it is also associated with Fame and Reputation, Wealth, Relationships and the element of Fire.

Red is the spark that moves us. It is excitement, passion, heat and sensuality. Red is the color of life and relationships. We are irresistibly drawn to red – as a color it visually steps forward into our line of vision, commanding our attention. Red is the color of confidence, power, security and wealth.

Red is a color that demands attention. Studies have found that the color red affects brain function more than any other color of equal intensity. It is the color that universally elicits the strongest emotions in every culture.

A red door is a wonderful way to attract attention and greet your guests. Using it on your front door energizes all its associations creating a vibrant, exciting and dynamic front entry. And of course, in Feng Shui red attracts prosperity, relationships, and a good reputation – all good things!

© 2011 Harmony Life®, LLC by Laurie Bornstein
Feng Shui Lifestyle™ articles, tips and conversation http://www.fengshuilifeandstyle.com

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What colors should you use for your website? The world is your oyster. In the world of Feng Shui, colors have relationships with one another. Some are supportive, others aren’t. Let’s talk about five or six colors.

Green is the color of new beginnings. It’s the color of flexibility, it’s the color of health, and it is literally the color of money. It is supported by black and dark tones. If you’re looking to develop a strong business with lots of opportunity for growth, make sure you incorporate green.

If you want to have a strong successful career, incorporate black. Black is the color of adaptability; it’s associated with career energy and it’s representative of the water element.

If you need greater clarity, a crispness, focus and direction, consider white. White is associated with clarity, expansion and development.  You can use white as the color of your text block. And if your text is black, you’ve incorporated clarity and also strong successful career.  Good to have clarity in our careers.

If you want to seek great recognition or supportive relationships, incorporate the color red. In addition to prosperity, red is also associated with both our reputation and our relationship.  Red can be intense, so a little goes a long way.

If you want to experience great abundance, consider incorporating red or purple tones. Both of those colors are strongly associated with prosperity.

If you want to create a sense of vibrancy and excitement, consider incorporating yellow or a yellow tone. Orange is a color that shares aspects of both red and yellow, Yellow is associated with warmth, with expansion and with mental stimulation.

To create a look and feel that’s enticing and compelling, use two or three colors – complementary of course, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming and dominating.  It’s all about flow. Too much is not a good thing.

You use color in your business name, your logo, your page subheads and even the color of your text and text block. All of these unite and combine to create the look and feel of your website. Each of them should seamlessly flow into one another.

When selecting the color of your web page, your images and your text really consider the relationship the colors have to one another as well as what your intention for your website is. When you choose your colors this way, they won’t only look good but they’ll feel good. They’ll energize your web pages, supporting your goals and aspirations.

For more hints about how to use color in your website, click here to listen to Laurie’s podcast.

The place to start talking about abundance is outside your house. This is more than curb appeal, this is about creating a dynamic sense of welcome so that your home is uplifting and energetic.

In Feng Shui, you often hear that you should paint your front door red. Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on many things. The color of the front door should complement the color of your home and it should visually make the door step forward so that it is easily visible. It should be a color that makes your heart sing!

All colors have a wide range of tones to choose from. From the softest, lightest shade to the most saturated shade.

Red and red tones are great for front doors. They are energetic, passionate colors.
Purple tones are lovely front door colors. They have the attributes of both blue and red. They represent abundance and royalty! Yum!
Blue is a wonderful color, it both supports water (the element often associated with front door placement), relaxation, comfort and adaptability.
Green represents nature, health, and wealth. It is the color of balance throughout nature.
Black can be a powerful color for a front door. Strong, stately and a bit traditional.
Yellow and gold tones are fantastic at brightening the area around the front door, and making the door visually step forward.
White is often the fall back color for a front door and it is without a doubt the color that tends to de-emphasize the door. So if your door is white, consider a new color.

Based on the Bagua, a template that divides your living space into 9 equal segments and each segment represents a different life energy, the abundance area is located in the back left section of your home.

For many of you, the back left section of your home might be the family room. That’s pretty common. Let’s break down the family room and the placement of objects within that room for optimal flow. Feng Shui is about energy, chi`, and for energy to flow, it has to have space, so placement is a very important detail.

To support abundance and prosperity, this room should represent the energy of abundance and prosperity to you. What does abundance look like to you? What does prosperity look like to you? What does abundance and prosperity feel like? For most of us,  it probably doesn’t look like a bunch of clutter or odds and ends. If your family room is in abundance and prosperity, it shouldn’t be filled with odds and ends and bits you’ve picked up along the way.

In the family room, the single most important feature is NOT the T.V, it’s the sofa. The sofa is the main feature. What does that mean? You should love it. You should love the shape, the size, the way it feels when you sit in it. It should not be the most uncomfortable seat in the house, and certainly not in that room.

This room should absolutely open its arms to you with welcome, like it is giving you a hug. The sofa placement is really important. It should be positioned that it’s facing you. When a sofa has its back to you it’s like a wall. A wall doesn’t draw you in; you walk around it and often right by it into another room!

The sofa should be comfy and cozy. This could be overstuffed but it doesn’t have to be. It’s about comfort. We all have different styles and preferences. Honor your personal style.

Color. The color of your family room should speak to your soul. It should create the feeling of embrace. It should feel like your personal paradise. The one place in your life where you  can be completely who you are is in your home. Even if your home is an apartment or rented home, you can create that sense of embrace in your home. Color can be incorporated through paint, accessories, art, lighting, rugs, curtains; the list goes on and on.

The objects in your space are within your control. Maybe you can’t paint the walls, but you can choose your own art. You can choose pillows. Accessories are a great way to bring in accent colors. Afraid of color? Begin by making little changes. Fresh flowers, a vase, a lamp, a lampshade, a pillow or a throw blanket. These can be in a yummy color or even an animal print.

The possibilities are truly limitless. All you have to do is give yourself permission and the door to abundance can swing open!

To learn more about Feng Shui and abundance and prosperity, listen to Laurie’s podcast here.

© 2010 Harmony Life, LLC by Laurie Bornstein

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Feng Shui Teacher, Designer and Entrepreneur Laurie Bornstein, is the author and creator of ‘Feng Shui Lifestyle’, her FREE monthly ezine filled with Feng Shui and Lifestyle Marketing articles and tips, empowering and inspiring you to live and work in comfort, balance and harmony.

Visit www.harmonylifedesign.com to learn more.