Feng Shui
Ask The Designer

Q.What exactly is feng shui? Do you think it is just another fad or can placing pieces the feng shui way really be beneficial?

A. Feng Shui has been around in the Chinese culture for 3000 years, so it probably cannot be considered as a fad. It is becoming much more familiar to our population in the past few years and most likely will continue into the future because of increasing connections to other cultures.

The object of Feng Shui is to create a balance to our environment which in turn creates a peacefulness and harmony in our lives. I am not a Feng Shui practioneer, yet as a practicing interior designer, that is my goal every day for my clients and myself.

A well designed functioning space always is in balance. Another way of saying this is that a space that is in balance with all the elements appears well designed and peaceful.

Feng Shui is another example of the personalities of mankind being more alike than different. We often just have different ways of expressing the same principles.

Now comes the part I really want you to hear: To achieve balance, the elements are chosen for their relationships to each other. This is the only way to get harmony. Unfortunately, a popular way of selecting elements or furniture for our U.S. culture is by purchasing "what we like".

Our favorites do not always harmonize. Effective design principles or Feng Shui choose elements for the results that they produce as a whole. Check out the web sites revealed when a "Feng Shui" search is executed.