by llenore | Mar 20, 2024 | Beauty, Blog, Business, Color, Creativity, Energy, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Feng Shui, Good Life, Home, Interior Design, Intuition, Living Room, My Story, Nature, Reflect You, Self Care, White, Yellow
Have you ever made a poor choice in decorating your home? If you did, was it your choice or someone else’s opinion you followed?
Design Mistakes
Blue, single-cushion, extra-long sofa
It was 1970. The sheer draperies recently were installed in my living room when a ‘friend’ said, “What were you thinking when you chose that color?” I thought the color was fine. Afterall, it was basically white!
The interior designer from the big chain store told me they were a great choice based on the other furnishings. My friend proceeded to tell me they were “too grey” with the other yellow-based colors I had in the room.
I was so embarrassed! I’d spent a huge amount of money on those draperies and knew my husband would be furious if he ever found out “they were wrong for the room!”
That wasn’t my first design mistake. It was one in a series. Buying a 95” sofa was one of the worst since it didn’t fit anyplace. My then husband, who was 6’5” tall, insisted on it in order to stretch out on it.
Design Classes
My friend’s comment was the last straw. I looked for a class to teach me about interior design. I found one through the parks & recreation department being held in a church and taught by a teacher from the prestigious Parsons School of Design. What a learning experience!
I became fascinated with the many guidelines of design. Many were totally impractical since I had a 2-year-old daughter and was going to have another child later that year. I made a new life-long friend who helped me put things into perspective.
She said, “If you want your home to be a showplace, you might want to follow the rules. If you want to have a comfortable home where you can raise a family and not worry about the mishaps that happen with children, use your common sense.”
She was a wise woman who shared lots of sage advice on numerous topics throughout our 40-year friendship. Sometimes the most valuable lessons learned are not from “teachers,” but from friendships.
Design Business
Within a year I had started an interior design business with several neighborhood ladies. We all were taking interior design classes at the local college. Our company was called, It’s About Design.
Each one of us had specific qualities we brought to the company. I was great at teaching classes that brought us clients. My focus was on the PRACTICAL SIDE of design. If you had children, pets, and/or didn’t like to clean house, I was your gal!
Now I do know the difference between yellow-based and grey-based whites. I’ve trained my eye. I also know, life is too short to focus on material things. It’s family, friendships, experiences, and the beauty of nature that means the world to me.
But if you have design questions, I love to share the pros and cons, the practical, and what truly matters in life. I’m glad to share my stories, experiences, wisdom, and sage advice. Just ask me!
by llenore | Jan 12, 2024 | Ba-Gua, Beauty, Blog, Chinese New Year, Clutter, Color, Feng Shui, Good Life, Interior Design, Linda Lenore, Reflect You
To have a clean slate to work with when setting your goals, we need to get rid of last year’s energy. Clutter is a good example of things from the past holding us back. That’s why the first step is to declutter, thus creating an organized environment in which to set our intentions. It raises the vitality.
Next we are going to locate an area we deal the “wealth area” of our homes.
The Ba-Gua
Step 2: Create a Westernized Wealth Corner (45 minutes)
Guided by the ancient wisdom of the Ba-Gua map, our journey gracefully leads us to the wealth corner of your home, a pivotal point associated with the beckoning of financial prosperity in Feng Shui.
In this segment, we introduce a touch of Western luxury by embracing the opulent gleam of gold accents. Gold, synonymous with opulence and abundance in Western design, is now strategically incorporated as a potent symbol for prosperity. Elevate this space with the warm glow of carefully chosen gold-framed mirrors, metallic decor, or a chic vase adorned with fresh flowers.
A couple other colors associated with wealth are green and purple. If gold isn’t your style, find items in either or both of these colors. It could be you include a green houseplant or an orchid with a purple flower. Then you’d have both green and purple. A Lucky Bamboo is also a possibility, especially if you find yourself challenged keeping plants alive. Lucky Bamboo can live in areas of low light and do not like direct light, so it’s perfect for those interior bathrooms.
These additions not only enhance the visual aesthetics of your wealth corner but also act as beacons attracting positive financial energy. In a mere 45 minutes, you have transformed this area into a stylish haven radiating prosperity and elegance – a tangible reflection of your aspirations for the Chinese New Year.
#WealthCornerGlamour #LuxuryWithPurpose
Next Stop: Red and Gold Accents in Modern Style
Red Envelopes, Ingots, Firecrackers, & Peach Blossoms for Health, Wealth, Love, Joy, & Good Luck!
Step 3: Red and Gold Accents in Modern Style (20 minutes)
As our journey unfolds, we shift our focus to infusing the vibrant hues of red and gold into your decor, but with a contemporary and modern twist.
Instead of traditional lanterns, you might consider sleek red and gold throw pillows, table runners, or candles. Red is considered the most auspicious color, that is why it is used in as many ways as possible throughout the Lunar New Year, whether it’s in clothing, decor for the home, or the symbolic Red Envelopes given this time of year.
These accents seamlessly integrate with the existing framework of contemporary Western design, infusing your living space with an aura of auspicious energy. The fusion of tradition and modern style achieved in this segment results in a unique, stylish, and meaningful ambiance. In just 20 minutes, you have not only created a visual harmony that resonates with the spirit of the Chinese New Year, but you have also successfully blended elements that complement your Western design sensibilities.
This intentional blending ensures that your home becomes a testament to the seamless integration of diverse cultures, adding depth and character to your living space.
#ModernAuspiciousness #StylishHarmony
Next Stop: Furniture Arrangement for Harmony
by llenore | Dec 13, 2023 | Blog, Feng Shui, Good Life, Health, Linda Lenore, Reflect You, Uncategorized
What Works Wednesday –
Towels soaking up the water on the floor
Well, I can tell you what doesn’t work – the cold-water faucet of my washing machine! Out-of-the-blue, without any warning, it broke yesterday!
Why am I writing about this? What does this broken pipe and plumbing have to do with a post where I usually have a photo of a room?
Because there is a deeper connection between our health, our homes, our bodies, and our lives than you may know.
The short explanation is:
Every part of our home represents a part of our body. If something breaks or needs repair in the home, there is a good chance an occupant of the home may be experiencing a health issue related to the corresponding part of the home.
One reason I often share about fixing up the front door to attract “good chi” is because that area of the house represents the mouth, nose, and face of the humans living there. (Actually, animals can also be affected). If you aren’t getting enough good energy to the front door, it’s as though you aren’t able to speak, breath, face people, communicate with them, or even the simple gesture of a smile might be missing in your life.
Here’s the story of the current situation around health issues and the symbolism of our home. I’m going to keep this as simple as I can while making the point.
Many of you know I asked for prayers for my husband and brother a couple of months ago. Both are doing better. Thank you for your prayers.
My husband was having problems breathing while on our vacation. Tests showed he was severely anemic. But what the underlying cause creating this health problem is still unknown. Yesterday he had some medical procedures done pertaining to the gastrointestinal tract.
The cracked/broken cold-water pipe
That part of the body equates to plumbing in the house. Part of the procedure for my husband was the insertion of a pill-sized camera into the intestinal tract. We got home and he took a nap. When he woke up, he checked the monitor of the camera. It was working perfectly. About 20 minutes later he looked and saw it wasn’t working.
Within a 15-minute timeframe the monitor of the camera stopped working and we heard water dripping. The threaded part of the cold-water faucet of the washing machine cracked, allowing water to start dripping. (Sidenote – the washer was not running and was last used 3 days ago.)
A plumber arrived within 40 minutes. He turned off the water to the house. When he TOUCHED the faucet, it snapped off. If the water hadn’t been turned off – or worse still, the washing machine was running – water would have burst all over the laundry! It was that close to bursting on its own.
Now I don’t know exactly what the final outcome of any of this will be, but I do know they are related if only by time. If this were the first story, or only story, like this it would be one thing.
BUT…
This is one of dozens of stories where the house and an occupant’s health show up at the same time.
The broken cold-water faucet removed and sheetrock cut open to reveal the extent of the situation. Water mitigation, drying the walls, and assessing the situation are the next steps.
I have an eBook I will be making available to you for free very soon. I had planned to have it available 2 months ago, but “life happens.” Maybe this whole intestinal camera, monitor, dripping faucet, and snapped pipe to the washer needed to happen simultaneously so I would write this blog, you would read it, and realize you want the eBook with more details on the symbolism of your built environment and your body. Who knows?
One thing I know, I’m calling this a BLESSING.
Why you might ask?
Because if any of this had happened differently, we might not have been home, the washing machine could have been running, I might have been outside or running errands and not been around for hours!
Worse still, we might have been on a 2-week vacation. The water could have gone through the whole house wreaking all floors, walls, cabinets, etc. If that had happened, our well pump would have been running constantly and possibly burned out. I could go on-and-on.
With that said, I’m not saying I’m happy it happened during the holidays. It’s a blessing it happened the way it did. Now I just need to see where this takes us and how it fits into the Feng Shui health of body, mind, spirit, and environment.
“Stay turned” as this situation unveils itself.
by llenore | Oct 15, 2023 | Beauty, Feng Shui, Healing Hearts, Health, Linda Lenore, Reflect You, Scary Times, Self Care, Uncategorized, Wellness, You are the LIGHT
Sometimes I am in a fog as to how I should handle something. I can’t see in front of me the steps I need to take.
Scary times happen in our lives. How are we supposed to include “self-care” during those times?
Scary times can include an unexpected financial expense. Maybe the loss of a job throws you into stress and scare: “How can I make it through this?” or “What next is going to happen?” Often a health issue, yours or a loved one, changes life forever.
I wish I could say I don’t know about these times, but I have. Most people I know have had these situations.
I’m going through one now. I realized I have tools to cope, yet I had forgotten them for several days at the beginning of this event.
It was then I decided to go through memories of “Scary Times” searching for tools. I gently removed protective layers the years have built to find and excavate what I’d used.
Reflecting on life, all the ripples in it, sometimes it is hard to see the reflection or the Light guiding us.
What worked in each situation? Were there common threads? Who were the people I relied upon? Who undermined me and my energy? What tidbits of knowledge did I learn? Did I use that knowledge sometimes and ignore it at other times? If I ignored it, was that a good thing or bad thing? When did I feel most empowered? Where did I go, if anyplace, to find quiet time to think – and feel – the emotions?
In disseminating this information, what protocol could I create for this scary time? How could I weave the information together to create a SafetyNet or warm, fuzzy blanket to comfort me through this journey?
And just what is self-care? Am I being selfish to think about ME during this time? Or is this exactly what my life path has taught me – that the only way I can truly help someone else is if I do take care of me with whatever “self-care” tools I have, whether longtime standbys or newly discovered.
Hence this series of articles has surfaced. It’s an archaeologically dig of my life. I am remembering memories buried deep within my mind. I’m feeling emotions I thought were healed. They aren’t, but they aren’t as painful. In fact, in many cases there is no attachment to them, just the vague memory of a time long ago.
My Feng Shui training has given me many tools to use. The masters I’ve had contributed to an awareness of energy and how to use it – and to use it ONLY FOR GOOD!
We should never interfere with another’s life. Words are powerful. “In the beginning was the Word!” Understanding I am one with the Universe – the One Mind – connects the energy fields. My hope is to raise my vibration – and yours – to a higher-level using words while sharing these stories of how I’ve navigated scary times.
by llenore | Aug 21, 2023 | Ba-Gua, Beauty, Clutter, Color, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Schools, Health, Interior Design, Linda Lenore, Reflect You, Self Care, Wellness, You are the LIGHT
For almost a decade grey has been a “go to” color trend creating a host of less than desirable energy – unless you are selling your house.
Charcoal grey kitchen
Then it might be just what you want since a recent Zillow survey states it might actually increase the sale price of your home. Let me explain more why you don’t want to use it.
One of the ways we create grey is by mixing black and white together. In Feng Shui, black equates to water and white equates to metal. Mixed together, they make grey; mixed together the elements of water will rust metal thus reducing the vitality of the space.
Every color has a vibration. Depending on what you want in your life, you may want to either paint specific colors or bring in area rugs or throw pillows with those colors to enhance the energy of your space.
For instance, if you want more energy, red is a great color. If you want more soothing energy, light blues might be a better choice.
Seafood green bedroom
Need a spark of creativity, yellow and orange are great stimulator colors. Green, especially in the sea foam or light moss range, gives a room the feeling it is connected to nature and is a restful color.
Paint is a rather low cost way to give your home a vibrational lift, yet it can also be more permanent than the addition of a rug or pillows. I’m a DIYer, so I do my own painting, but that’s not for everyone. Furniture needs to be moved; trim needs to be taped; flaws in the walls need to be fixed. Maybe changing out the drapes would be a quicker and easier way to jazz up the place to see if you even like the color long term.
As an additional note, all white rooms are out. The addition of bright colors to a white room is in. Also, adding wood in warm hues brings a nice contrast and earthiness to otherwise bland rooms.
Those are some current thoughts on ousting grey from the color choices and taking a risk on some tried and true design tips with color splashes!
As far as Feng Shui is concerned, most of the common sense parts of Feng Shui relate to the science of Color Psychology. This is a science I have studied for nearly 40 years starting in my early days in design school.
