Feng shui (pronounced “fung shway” and literally meaning “wind” and “water”), a far eastern meta-physical oriented philosophy, and with origins harking back over 3,000 years, is utilized in design by targeting the balanced simplicity of room space, object placement and equilibrium.
Through extensive thought of colour, spacing and alignment, the feng shui room adds positive “chi” (or life force) energy to your home, which is believed to increase mental and physical health, ward off evil spirits, and bring health, wealth and serenity into your life.
There are many mechanisms for boosting the circulation of chi in your feng shui room. Lighting and brightness function to quell the dark forces while exciting the positive chi in your surroundings. Similarly, plants are used to add life to the interior by both conveying chi as well as manufacturing it.
Chinese mirrors are another great way to boost chi, and are particularly effective as a defense to troubled locations where only a puny positive or a very negative chi is present. And water, symbolizing money, can be merged into the home thru babbling fountains, or a clean, healthy aquarium.
In addition to the interior, further feng shui home decorating tips in order to maximise chi include consideration of the home’s exterior qualities, such as physical placement (i.e, ideally the front facing south), as well as proximity to surrounding hills and mountains (providing protection), bodies of water (symbolizing wealth), and the stars.
Yin-Yang
The ancient Chinese philosophy of yin-yang is an experience of the coexistence of opposing forces which complement one another and tries to combine opposites. But what does it mean and how does it bear on Asian decor? As a core Asian philosophy, yin-yang represents life’s opposites and striking balance, which translates extensively into how Asian houses are decorated.
Examples ofyin(black-female) include being dark, passive, down, wet, weak, inner, or cold.Yang(white-male), on the other hand, is typified by such stuff as light, activity, up, dry, powerful, outer and life. Light vs dark, hard and soft, round or angled, past and present, are commonly contrasted against one another in Asian home decorating in such a manner as to weave this philosophy into daily existance.
This philosophy isn’t about “good” versus “evil” but rather it conveys the universal truth about the intrinsic opposites, the push and pull, the tug of war, occurring throughout our complete existence.
One favored example of this continuing interaction between opposites in Asian decor is found when black is used to contrast with lighter colored objects, e.g., displaying white stones against a black dish so as to achieve the appearance of balance.
Chris Jeub has 2 websites devoted to home decor, where you will find many great articles spanning Feng Shui house and other design themes from all over the world. Be sure to visit his sister web site, www.worldly-treasures.com, for decorating accessories and ancient art.
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