Infusing Western Style with Eastern Traditions: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Feng Shui for Chinese New Year (Part 1)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

How’s your New Year going? Have you accomplished the goals you set or stuck to your resolutions? If not, you have another opportunity to make headway by preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, there is a profound opportunity to seamlessly weave together the tapestry of cultural richness and modern elegance within the sanctuaries of our homes. This transformative series, carefully curated by me, a Feng Shui master, is designed specifically for the dynamic and busy professional women of today.

Together, let’s embark on a journey that skillfully merges Western interior design ideas with timeless Asian customs, introducing not only a sense of calm and beauty but also infusing a touch of the sacred into every corner of your home.

What makes this guide particularly appealing is that each tip is meticulously crafted to be effortlessly incorporated into your routine – whether you do a little each day or take a half day here and there to implement them – each suggestion can be allocated to an hour or less, depending on how much time you have, how much needs to be done, or how much focus into the details you want to spend time wise.

Marie Kondo's Book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Marie Kondo’s Book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Step 1: Declutter Your Space with a Purposeful Twist (30 minutes – maybe a couple times a week if you have several areas of focus)

Our journey commences with a deep dive into the transformative power of mindful decluttering, drawing inspiration from the minimalist philosophy of the renowned Marie Kondo. Beyond the mere act of tidying, this process is an intentional and purposeful endeavor.

As you delicately sift through your possessions, envision not only the reclamation of physical space but also the dispelling of any lingering negative energy. By consciously parting ways with items that no longer serve you, you are engaging in more than a decluttering exercise; you are creating room for the infusion of positive vibes.

This intentional approach serves as the foundational step toward crafting a serene and sacred home where each corner resonates with the vibrant energy of joy and purpose. Imagine a space that not only looks tidy but feels revitalized – a perfect initiation into the auspicious Chinese New Year.

#DeclutterForCalm #SacredSpaceRevival

Next Stop: Create a Westernized Wealth Corner

COVID Caused Clutter & Hoarding Habits

Leading the news yesterday was a story how clutter & hoarding have increased due to COVID. I was shocked by that statement, especially since most of the people I had talked with during COVID were taking time to go through things while we were in the mist of the pandemic!

The "just incase I need it" pile

The “just incase I need it” pile

But life has changed since we are no longer “sheltered-in-place!” So has our mental outlook on life in many ways.

Underlying thoughts keep creeping in –

What if there is another major outbreak of COVID?

Will there be supply chain shortages?

Will I have to shelter-in-place again?

How will I take care of my family?

Will I have work or be able to work from home?

Can I mentally make it through another round of this?

What might I need to make it through?

These are just a few of the thoughts I’ve heard from participants in my Clutter Buster programs.

Plus, now we are as busy as ever catching up on all the things we couldn’t do for two years, yet wanted to be DOING! (We’ve forgotten we are human “BEINGS” – not human DOINGS!” Hehe!)

I was hoping the awareness we gleaned as to how the Rat Race had changed our perspective on what is important in life would last several years after the pandemic. But, alas, it only lasted a few months.

Cluttered home w/toys by AMBER LEVENTRY

Cluttered home w/toys by AMBER LEVENTRY

 

 

Some Personal Situations that Can Create Clutter

During my life I have had numerous times where the clutter was out of control. It usually has been a major event in my life.

For instance:

  • When I had emergency surgery and couldn’t get out of bed for months
  • Taking care of my mother through her dementia – decisions on her things
  • My son’s brain surgery and ultimate death – emotional attachments to lost dreams
  • Having my home be the storage for personal belongings of friends who lost their homes
  • My husband starting a business with his secretary leaving me in bankruptcy
  • Working 3 part-time jobs while going to school full-time
  • When I was bedridden, unable to walk for almost a year
  • Completely remodeling the home myself while starting and running my business

And then the eternal tech issues when I’d lose emails and then have “recovered” files with thousands of emails including the ones that had been deleted previously.

Maybe you can picture yourself in one of these “life happens” situations.

Clutter Buster

Clutter Buster

Clutter Buster Program

Several of my participants begged me to continue with the Clutter Buster because they were making such great headway. So here it is!

I’ve scheduled something EVERY DAY – for EIGHT DAYS!!!!!

That is going to be too often for most of you. Choose 3-4 dates & times that work for you. Give yourself a break in between.

It really isn’t good for you to work that constantly on decluttering and organizing. I won’t be working on projects each day either. I’m just setting up the Zoom and creating the opportunity for you to find times that work for you.

Here are the days, dates and times. Hands-On Immersions – September 2023

Dates & Times:

  • September 9 (Saturday) @ 12pm to 2pm PDT
  • September 10 (Sunday) @ 12pm to 2pm PDT
  • September 11 (Monday) @ 2pm to 3:30pm PDT
  • September 12 (Tuesday) @ 10am to 11:30am PDT
  • September 13 (Wednesday) @ 10am to 12pm PDT
  • September 14 (Thursday) @ 12pm to 1:30pm PDT
  • September 15 (Friday) @ 10am to 12pm PDT
  • September 16 (Saturday) @ 12pm to 1:30 pm PDT

Here’s the link to purchase: http://linda.mastermind.com/masterminds/46979

Receive a $100 discount when you APPLY this Discount Code: 77CB

Let’s kick clutter to the curb!

 

 

Why Should I Consider Using Feng Shui?

WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER USING FENG SHUI?

Feng Shui includes many principles and suggestions, yet the main point is to create an environment that supports your daily life, health, aspirations or dreams, and lifestyle. Unfortunately the way I was taught Feng Shui nearly 40 years ago, it didn’t make sense to me nor was the essence of it boiled down to the main purpose or reason for doing it.

FUNCTION! BALANCE! ORDER! BEAUTY!

Heavy "weight" of the piano is balanced on the other side of the room with the cabinet - and a triangle with the large, dark coffee table distributes the weight of the pieces around the room.

Heavy “weight” of the piano is balanced on the other side of the room with the cabinet – and a triangle with the large, dark coffee table distributes the weight of the pieces around the room.

Feng Shui is common sense. Make your home functional. Create rooms that feel balanced. Clear the clutter. Make it beautiful in your eyes – not your mom’s, neighbor’s, or friend’s eyes!!!

For years in my interior design and Feng Shui classes I told my students that using “Feng Shui” principles and objects is actually the last step.

FUNCTION!

First the home has to be FUNCTIONAL. If I told you to do something within your home, but in doing so it made it difficult to walk through your home or you couldn’t accomplish the necessary tasks within your home, you would be irritated with me. You might even send me “bad vibes”  – intentionally or unintentionally. Use your common sense when doing anything in your home.

BALANCE!

Second, we want BALANCE in the home. There are many ways to create balance, especially when we use Feng Shui. But let’s talk about balance through the eyes of interior design.

Look at your room. Do you have all the furniture against one wall? Maybe distribute items around the room. Does one wall hold all the TALL pieces of furniture? Or maybe there are several “heavy” pieces on one wall or one side of the room. Again, move them around. Try to have some tall or big pieces on opposite sides or maybe even placed in a triangle within the room like they are in the picture above.

The same goes for low furniture, dark items, or any items that “command” attention. Balance the room in order to have pieces of furniture placed around the room, not just in one area or side. What about artwork? Is it all on one wall? Try to make arrangements that have about the same visual weight on opposite walls. This also applies to having equal weight on both sides of a piece of furniture.

Order & organization in the entry or mudroom

Order & organization in the entry or mudroom

Have any accent colors distributed around the room. Having all the color just on a sofa or one wall throws the room out-of-balance. We want visual balance in heights, colors, accessories, and style within each room. When we add Feng Shui into the mix, we often will incorporate the Five Elements or Yin/Yang Theory.

ORDER!

Creating ORDER throughout the home brings a sense of peace into the space. CLUTTER is a big issue in many homes. Often it is because the function of the task doesn’t have the proper furniture or layout to complete the task easily. File cabinets, containers, lighting, seating, and other necessary tools are usually missing or not conveniently located to handle the situation.

Setting up a regular time schedule to work on decluttering and organizing is often a tool used to help. I block off the needed time for these tasks on my calendar. When doing the work, I set several short time segments back-to-back instead of one LONG time to accomplish things.

BEAUTY

As the phrase by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford in her 1878 novel, Molly Bawn, states: “BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder.”

What do you consider beautiful? What style furniture do you like? Is it the comfort factor, sleek lines, or big & masculine? What colors do you like? What colors do you dislike? Do you like lots of objects on shelves and flat surfaces? Or are you a “less is more” kind of person?

This is a discovery process as we are constantly changing and growing. As we mature, are exposed to different cultures and lifestyles, and expand our consciousness in the world around us, our tastes and preferences evolve.

Creating a living room that is functional, beautiful and reflects your style is the goal in Feng Shui.

Creating a living room that is functional, beautiful and reflects your style is the goal in Feng Shui.

COMMON SENSE, STYLE, & REFLECTION OF YOU

The challenge with our lifestyle and way of thinking these days is we don’t use common sense. We are bombarded with advertisements and other people’s agendas to the point we often forget common sense. We have become brainwashed into thinking we “need” the latest product or device to make us happy and complete.

What’s your style? Do you even know? Many of the women I have worked with during my career as an interior designer have not a clue what style they like. They see a room display at a store or in a magazine and they try to mimic it in their home… but not quite! The cost, size (of the furniture or the room), color, or material doesn’t work for some reason. Hence, they are forced to change parts of the overall image. Bottomline, it just doesn’t work.

Why do you have the furniture you have in your home? Did you inherit it? Find it at a garage sale? Brought it from your college days? It was in your husband’s friend’s house, he didn’t want it, and told your husband to take it? These are just a few of the hundreds of “mistake” furniture my clients have had in their homes.

Ultimately with your home, using these common sense qualities of interior design –  AND FENG SHUI – will improve your life. Yes, Feng Shui is the common sense aspect of interior design.

Make your home a reflection of who you are at your core essence. What are your values? What do you believe? What do you cherish? Where do you want your life journey to take you? How do you see yourself? Does your home reflect that image?

If you follow these principles, you’ll understand why considering and utilizing Feng Shui in your home will make you happier and help you achieve the life you desire.