Tag Archives: poison arrows

May 3, 2010 · 10:34 pm

TWIGGY BEDROOM IMPROVED BY FENG SHUI

Photo Credit: Roger Davies for Elle Decor

This is what some of my blogger friends call a “drool worthy room”. Elle Decor has the entire makeover of the barn this bedroom is situated in if you click here. I love the bed and the whitewashed bare barn but I always look with feng shui eyes. So let’s improve the feng shui here with some Feng Shui By Fishgirl touches:

1) Beam me up, Scottie! There are not only beams from the ceiling, but also cross beams from the twig bed. An easy fix is to tie a white linen or cotton “crumb-catcher” canopy to the bed. You can find a sheer fabric so you still have a light airy feel to it. White equals metal in feng shui terms and metal cuts the impact of the wooden beams. That disperses the energy so you don’t feel oppressive weight bearing down on you while you’re trying to get a good night’s rest in that gorgeous twig bed!

2) Balanced Side Tables…unless this is a guest room where one won’t be staying long, the feng shui would be better served by two matching nightstands and/ or two matching lamps. If it’s the master bedroom, the idea is to have equal balance so that no partner has dominance over the other. Unless you’re into that kind of thing of course, but that’s a different blog altogether!

3) Poison Arrows…the uncovered windows are in alignment (directly across from each other) and this causes a “poison arrow” of too-fast-moving ch’i. Again, a filmy cloth barrier would do the trick and still let the light and openness into the room. It doesn’t need to be a curtain. It could be a shade or shoji screen or even a bead curtain. Use your creativity!

Be sure to check out Elle Decor for the rest of this cool barn house. What would you do differently? Or, what do you love about it?

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February 17, 2010 · 5:35 pm

POISON ARROWS

When I look at magazine layouts of architecture and design, I look at them with my feng shui eyes. While it’s always impressive to see luxury homes where no dollar was spared, that doesn’t mean they got the feng shui right. Here’s a recent example I found in Dwell Magazine. The first photo is the view of this new Hamptons home from the street. You can see right inside the living area. But not only that, you can see right THROUGH to the backyard! This is a big feng shui no-no. It’s called a “poison arrow” as it is more than one window or door in direct alignment (especially negative when it exposes your home from front to back like this one does). The magazine said there were plans to add some shrubbery for privacy. That’s a good start but more will be needed to solve the feng shui problem. A better design for privacy and feng shui would have been to have a solid wall towards the street side with a clerestory window running all along the top of it, letting in natural light and a narrow view of the trees and sky with NONE of the street exposure.

Another view of this interior shows a long corridor like feel with a bedroom door at the end of it. This is yet another “poison arrow” and it crosses the first one created by the window-window arrow. A better design would have been to create a barrier wall so the entry to the bedroom was unseen and one would have to change directions a few times to enter the room. Keeping the door closed will help a little in the meantime.

What does a poison arrow matter? It creates too-fast-moving ch’i energy. If you’re “caught in the crossfire” of one poison arrow (let alone two or more) you will not feel comfortable or at ease. Often people will move into a house like this and move out within a short time, not knowing why they do not like living there. It’s about the “feeling” and subconsciously we will not feel safe here.

Here’s the master bedroom of the same house. I think it feels rather cold and uninviting despite the sunny yellow upholstery on the chair and the warmth of the wood floors. The feng shui problems: the closet doors to the left appear to be mirrored. In a room like this where there is already so much natural light from floor to ceiling windows, having the mirrors will cause an overabundance of stimulating ch’i. The light and the energy will be bouncing all over the place. Another problem is the choice of lamp overhead. Much cozier and more intimate to have two lamps, one on either side, instead of what looks like a stand up lamp hanging overhead. The window treatments look very industrial. Altogether not a successful room (in my opinion). Do you like it? Let me know why.

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Filed under Architecture, Design, Feng Shui, Feng Shui Home, Interior Design, Qi

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February 7, 2010 · 5:02 pm

STUPID CUPID (The Feng Shui of Valentine’s Day)

With appreciation to the unknown artist who painted this Cupid & Psyche...

Uh-oh…Valentine’s Day is here and those cute little cherubs will be wreaking havoc flinging arrows all over the place. Do Cupid’s arrows have any impact on ones feng shui? Being classified as ancient WMD’s, arrows do not have a positive feng shui connotation. Since Cupid’s a mythical figure, his arrows aren’t real, but the pictures of them do symbolically equate love with a painful experience, don’t they? A pierced heart does not exactly give off a warm fuzzy vibe. Stupid Cupid!

Love is a wonderful thing and we all deserve it. Here are some useful feng shui tips to enhance the romance this Valentine’s Day.

1) CELEBRATE YOURSELF Whether or not you have a date on February 14, you should still treat yourself well and have a great time. How about a night out bowling with the guys, or, a spa date with your best girlfriends?

2) HISTORY LESSON If your ex’s name, birthday, or anniversary date is your computer access password or PIN code, change them to something more neutral that doesn’t keep you hooked to your past love chi (energy), clearing the way for new love to blossom.

3) SEEING RED Activate your passion with the color red. Wearing red satin boxers or sexy lingerie under a boring business exterior will give you that secret boost of confidence that helps you in the dating scene as well as the Working World.

4) PAIRED UP The upper right hand corner of any room or space is your feng shui Love Sector. Paired objects are what you want there. A pair of candlesticks side by side is better than separating at opposite sides of the room. Remove solo photos of yourself from this area, replace with pics of happy couples.

5) IN THE MOOD Do use candlelight, music, and beautiful bedding in your love shack. Don’t have clutter, too many electronic gadgets, and mismatched bedside tables.

6) MUM’S THE WORD The Love & Relationship Sector is associated with Mother chi. Send Mom flowers to give you good luck in love.

7) THE LITTLE THINGS COUNT A love note in your partner’s pocket, calling mid-day to tell them you miss them, bringing home your love’s favorite take-out food. . . works better than arrows do.

Please leave your own tips for beating the blues on Valentine’s Day!

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Filed under Feng Shui, Fun, gifts, Holidays, Love & Relationship, Self Help

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May 1, 2009 · 5:08 pm

IMPACT OF WINDOWS ON FENG SHUI

“Friends are like windows through which you see out into the world
and back into yourself… If you don’t have friends you see much
less than you otherwise might.” ~ Merle Shain

I captured this view from a window in paint in 2007.

Katy captured this view from a window in paint in 2007.

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD
Windows are such an integral part of all architecture that sometimes we hardly notice them unless our space doesn’t have any at all. When we don’t have any windows, we notice their absence immediately. We may feel closed in without windows to provide a connection to the outside world.

* Windows let in light to dark places.

* Windows provide us with a view to other spaces, generally outside, but not always.

* If they open, windows give us a means to circulate fresh air into our space.

* Well designed windows add a focal point to any room.

* Windows can create moods and uplift our ch’i (energy).

In feng shui terms, windows are generally a good thing for all of the functional reasons mentioned above. There are instances where too much of a good thing can
be harmful and needs to be balanced with some feng shui cures.

POISON ARROWS
Do an inspection of your home. If you have windows lined up at the front of your home that allow you to see clear through your home to the backyard, you have a situation known as a “poison arrow”. Being able to see through the entire home leaves you vulnerable and feeling unprotected. Anyone passing by from the street (especially at night when your interior is lit) can see right through your home and capture a glimpse of your backyard. Best to keep the windows at the front of the house covered for privacy. You can do that a variety of ways. It could be done with outdoor landscaping or interiorwindow treatments or a combination of both.

GLASS WALLS
Windows are made of glass and glass is equivalent to the element of Water. Many contemporary buildings have floor to ceiling walls made of glass. While this can be great at home when you want to enjoy the view from your dining area, at work you will want a solid wall behind you as you are seated at your desk. If it’s too late and you already work in an office where there is a glass wall directly behind you, you must take steps to counterbalance the “fishbowl” effect. Through use of roller blinds, window coverings, frosted glass, screen systems, or creative use of plants, you can modify the wall of glass to strengthen your position and make working a lot easier.

FAUX WINDOWS
If we leave windowless walls barren of any decoration, the feng shui can feel very stagnant. Sometimes we need to add the look and feel of a window where there is none. Mirrors are good substitutes. In fact, I’ve even seen some mirrors that are designed to look like paned glass windows. Mirrors can bounce the light back from an existing window, or, they might reflect a scene from an existing window to make a room look double the size.

Another illusion of a window can be created through placement of art. Whether the art is painted to actually appear to be an outdoor scene or not, sometimes a well chosen piece will make us feel that we have a portal to another world. So, look at your rooms and see where you have too many windows, or, not enough. Work on bringing balance and beauty to your home or office. And remember, keep those windows clean!

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