If there was any area in the home that needed a boost it’s the bedroom. Ask any couple after a hard day at work and they’ll most likely agree. The principles of element and energy are used in feng shui to bring positive energy to your home and your life. One way this energy flows through your home is dependent on the position of your furniture.

Here are tips to turn your most private area into a sanctuary or a love nest if you choose.

1. Remove everything from your room that doesn’t inspire what you want from your bedroom. We clutter our bedroom space with treadmills (they double as clothes hangers), televisions, radios and the like. All of these things dampen the energy that should flow freely. You have televisions in other rooms so let that be where you watch it.
2. Choose a color that brings balance to your bedroom. According to feng shui, flesh tones are good for adding sensuality to your bedroom. Deep browns are significant with the wood element which brings life and vitality. As you sleep, your body is repairing itself and renewing your energy for the next day.
3. Leave space below your bed for energy to flow all around it. Beds with drawers underneath block the energy in your bedroom from surrounding you. If your sexual energy is running a little low, it is important to have the most positive energy possible in the bedroom.
4. Add artwork. We place artwork in the living room for family and friends to see but in the bedroom, it’s for you. If you want your bedroom to be a sanctuary use photos of tropical places, flowers, and other soothing images that reflect how you want to feel there. To “get in the mood” choose images that bring out the sensual side of you.
5. Adjust the lighting. Different levels of light change the look of the colors in your room. Use candles, soft lighting or dimmer switches to let more light in or keep light out. Natural light nourishes your body and it is no different in your home.
6. Choose a good quality bed and bedding. We’ve talked about the look of the bedroom but not the main item in the room. A bed with a comfortable, well made mattress is essential for adequate rest. Don’t forget the sheets either. High thread count bedding is soft to the touch and welcoming after a long, hard day.

So, how does your bedroom stack up? If the energy in your room is waning a little, use the above advice to get it moving strong again.

Part 3 of 5.

You don’t have to sink a lot of money that you don’t have into changing your home. In fact, it doesn’t take a lot of dough to make changes that will change your mood in your home. Use the following makeover tips to express changes in your style whenever you feel the need.

1. Make Use of Rugs – These can be large, medium, round or square rugs depending on your style. Area rugs can change the feel in a room and also protect your carpet underneath. Area rugs work well on hardwood floors to define spaces. Place one under your dining room table. In the living room place, a different rug under the furniture in each area of the room as a sort of dividing technique.
2. Use Mirrors – Mirrors in the hallway add length and depth to your home. Use mirrors across from windows and doorways. Save space by hanging full-length mirrors on doors and walls. Turn coffee tables into mirrored surfaces to reflect the ceiling above.
3. Add New Fixtures to Your Home – This is one of the simplest changes you can make to define your home. Use the color scheme in each room as a guide. Polished silver or bronze fixtures work well with dark colors. Change cabinet handles and faucet fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens. High pouring faucets allow you more room in the sink especially when cleaning large pots and pans.
4. Add Molding – While this can be a more expensive project, it makes a big difference. You can save on the cost by enlisting the help of knowledgeable friends or a professional. Use chair rails to divide walls in your dining room or down the hallway. Crown molding adds also adds height to ceilings.
5. Change the Flooring – While this makeover tip is quick, it is also costly. Many flooring companies can change a carpeted floor to a hardwood or laminate floor in as little as six hours. To prep the area, you need to move out all furniture. Consider what type of  flooring will be most suitable for the area and consult with a design professional to make sure it is well integrated to the rest of your home before going ahead with the project.

It is the little things that mean so much in life. For your home, that adds up to a big change in how you feel and function in your living quarters. Use these few simple tips to redefine any room in your home to suit your family. Quick changes can be made at any time and most can be redone again and again as your feelings dictate.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

I have currently added the following furniture pieces and accessories into inventory and they are ready for immediate delivery. Be sure to look at both pages.  Please  email for pricing. Michelle@MJNinteriors.com Current and former clients of MJN & Associates Interiors will receive a significant price break off retail.

img_0515_0

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 15

Okay, so I admit they are not the best pictures in the world, but I hoped they would give you a glimpse of what went on inside the Vision 10- International Window Covering Expo. (I took them with my iphone even though my camera was in the car.  Once inside the Georgia World Congress center, it is a major hike even to move among buildings, much less to one  of the parking lots and I did have a camera with me.) I did manage to get a lot of pictures the window fashions prepared exclusively for the show.  What I did not get was pictures of the beautiful fabrics and sheers that are now out there. (I laughed with some of my designer friends that some looked only appropriate for the next bordello we might be asked to decorate: over the top.) But the majority were quite beautiful in their simple elegance.  There was understated clean-lined hardware and walls of gorgeous trim.

I was stuck by some of the international vendors that are coming in with new, simple ideas in shades for windows. My pictures did not turn out well of them, but suffice it to say, they lie completely flat as they open and close, by having strips of sliding, alternating fabric and sheer.  They are definately a more contemporary look.  As I am able to find more pictures, I will try to get up a post on just these.

I did manage to visit with designer friends and pick up a new line or two.  I was inspired.  I hope you are.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy for creating positive energy in any space. The system is dominated by eight areas of each space and five elements. Here, you will learn about the five elements that define feng shui and give rise to the colors and organization of your space to create an atmosphere of prosperity and health.

The Five Elements

There are five main elements in feng shui theory. They are wood, fire, water, earth and metal. Each element plays a crucial role within the space that you occupy, whether it is your home or your office. After you have used a compass and your home’s floor plan to create the bagua (energy map) the next step is to look at the elements that control each of the eight areas.

Each element has a particular life area that it influences. Knowing what areas those are helps with creating the design of your home and the use of furniture and accents that demonstrate that specific element.

Fire – As you can imagine, anything that has to do with fire inspires a passion that burns deep within. The fire element also adds a high amount of energy to anything that you do. This includes your work (career), your leisure activities and for couples, your sex life.

Water - Water is a refreshing element. Water flows freely bring with it an abundance of good fortune. In ancient rituals of many cultures, water was used as a purifying agent. Using the water element in your home adds purity, abundance of energy and a fresh feeling.

Earth – Have you ever heard of someone who is “down to Earth?” The Earth element brings a feeling of stability and security to your home. Mother Earth nurtures all who live on it and within it. The same goes for the earth element in your home – it nourishes each family member.

Metal – You may be wondering why metal is an element. It seems so hard and impersonal. Actually, metal is used to represent efficiency and clarity of mind and purpose. Your work will have both a well-defined purpose and good qualities when the metal element is present.

Wood – Think of trees. They provide oxygen for all living creatures that need it. The wood element equals health to the body. Healing cures using feng shui include the wood element in their composition. Prosperity in your home is also governed by the wood element.

Each feng shui element serves a different purpose in the home. The associated colors and areas that work best with each element help you to build positive energy throughout your home. Each area will be strong in a particular element and give you a certain feeling when you enter that room.

Part 2 of 5.  More to come.

Everyone can’t live in a sprawling mansion. These days it’s more economical to have a smaller space. Just because your home is small doesn’t mean it has to “feel” that way. Here are five suggestions to open up and enlarge any undersized space.

Think big. It’s not easy but it will get you thinking about ways to change and decorate your home when it is not exactly Grand Central Station. Try a few of these suggestions and see what you think.

1. Get out your paint rollers. Any decorator can tell you that using deep, dark colors makes a room smaller. Using lighter colors can make a room seem brighter and larger. If you already have the eggshell colors that come with most new homes, try a lighter blue shade or a pale yellow. Both colors are cool and calm to the soul. A lighter shade of blue gives the illusion of being outside too!

2. Use smaller pieces of furniture or one large piece. At one time, almost everyone wanted a sectional sofa. While it provides a lot of seating in a living room, it also takes up a lot of space that you might not have in a smaller dwelling. You can still have a fair amount of seating with armchairs and a loveseat. Forget about the overstuffed furniture as well. A simple couch works better when you’re working with limited floor space.

3. Choose a hardwood floor or a light area rug. Dark just means cozy no matter if it is furniture, paint or flooring. One exception is a hardwood floor; just the echo as you walk across it makes the room feel larger.  A taupe or beige carpet (if not in a room to be used by little kids) also adds to the illusion of a larger space.

4. Use open lighting schemes. Lamps in a room reflect on intimacy. When you are trying to make a small space seem larger, use more overhead lighting. Try track lighting, ceiling fans or chandelier lights. Letting more light in will open every corner of the room. Keep your curtains and blinds light colored and easily opened as well. During the day let the sun shine in through them to help create a positive, wide open appearance.

5. Create a path through your room. Bobbing and weaving through furniture and floor lamps says “small.” However you arrange your furniture, create a definite path from one side of the room to the other. You and your family won’t feel cramped and pressed for space. It sure helps if you have to walk through the room in the dark during the middle of the night too. Bye bye bruised shins and stubbed toes.

What is Your Focal Point?

This is not a lesson on concentration. A focal point is the place where the eye naturally gravitates within a room. When decorating, it is important to choose a focal point for your room before you start thinking about anything else.

Popular Focal Points

The first thought for a focal point is an architectural structure. It could be a fireplace or a built-in bookcase. In the case of the family room, you might consider a fireplace/television alcove combination.

When determining the focal point of any room, you’ll want to start big. When entering a room, people’s eyes begin high and steadily move downward. The largest thing in your room may be the fireplace. In that case, use it as the focus of your room.

Focal points can also be created. In homes with rooms that have no distinguishing architectural features, you can choose what you want as the focal point. Add a bookshelf, a large piece of artwork or a big screen television.

When all of the walls look alike, use paint to distinguish your focal point. Paint one wall in a similar, but lighter or darker shade than the other three. That single wall becomes the focal point for your room.

Always use something big. Small items in the room can be engulfed by other features and not be seen as a focus for anything, if they even catch the eye of your visitor at all.

Enhancing Your Focal Point

Why is it important? Having one outstanding feature in each room, makes that room interesting. It gives the room character so to speak. It also gives you a place to begin when deciding how to adorn the rest of the room. For instance, the furniture can be gathered around the focal point.

For some, it is not the center of the room but it is a main feature. Leave room in front of the fireplace or the bookshelf for admiring by visitors and friends. The furniture can then be centered in front of the television on a shorter wall.

Use accents to spruce up your focal point. Family pictures can be hung on the wall around the fireplace (using this as an example). Flowers, antiques and other items that are precious to you add to the eye-catching nature of this element in your room. Resist the urge to junk it up. Less is always more especially when it comes to accessorizing around the rooms of your home.

Having a focal point in a room makes the room easier to decorate and even more lovable. You can work everything else in the room around that one feature. Make your visitors’ attention immediately go to the focal point in the center or simply dress your focal point up to make it stand out. If you don’t have a natural focal point, use furniture such as bookshelves, television stands, etc. to create a focus for the room.

It sounds like the latest Oriental dish, but feng shui is actually a method of organization and design that brings harmony and peace to your home or office. Read on to learn exactly what these two words mean and how you can benefit from them.

Feng Shui is a spiritual system that began in ancient China about 3,000 years ago. There are many complex notions that go into feng shui but a simple paring down of the philosophy has become popular in the Western hemisphere today. Basically, feng shui revolves around the “chi” or energy that surrounds all life.

The words feng shui literally mean “wind water.” Both concepts are associated with prosperity and good health in the Chinese lifestyle. To have good energy flowing through your home, use the basics of feng shui.

Basics of Feng Shui

In a given living space, each room has its own energy. The energy has to be allowed to flow freely throughout the items within the room to create a total atmosphere of positive things. Who knew that a bathroom had energy? It certainly has a lot of other things, but feng shui teaches us that even a bathroom can bring calm feelings to each family member.

Use the compass to properly divide your home into the eight sections creating your energy map. Knowing what portion of the home is in what area dictates the way you will organize it.

Feng shui theory says that you can affect the energy around you simply by creating a space that is favorable to your life. This involves knowing the five feng shui elements, feng shui colors and how the energy moves throughout each room in your home.

Getting Started – Lopan and Bagua

Practitioners of feng shui use a couple of basic tools to get started. The first tool is the compass. A compass in the woods lets you know which way is up and guides you in the right direction. The same goes for the feng shui compass also called lopan. The compass gives the practitioner a deeper sense of the energy in the home and what needs to be where in order to allow the energy to flow without restraint.

Each of the areas of your home has a different feng shui need. The compass helps to define what colors and feng shui elements need to be represented within each room. It also takes into account which element governs the lives of each person in the house.The compass looks similar to a compass you would use while hiking. There is a compass needle in the center. The compass itself consists of several concentric circles that guide the practitioner to give you a layout of what your home needs in order to be whole again.

The other tool is the bagua. It is the energy map of the house. Using a blueprint drawing of your home, you can map out the eight areas of the energy map: South, Southeast, North, Northwest, East, Northeast, West and Southwest. Each section of the home has a governing element, color and purpose in your life.The beauty, and the real advantage in my mind, is that the top can lower to give you privacy, but still let in a lot of light and let you see out with an unobstructed view.

More next month on Feng Shui…

A Joint Venture: MJN & Associates Interiors and Salon Greco.

On April 25^th, I will be speaking on “The Design Process, Steps to Putting a Room Together.” I will be doing this at Salon Greco, a salon and day spa in Suwanee.  Cathie, the owner, is putting together a special offer.  For $99, you can choose 3 services from her “menu” and spend a relaxing afternoon of design and de-stressing. Services include massage, manicures, pedicures, facials, reflexology, ear candling, cupping massage, hair treatment & blow dry,and spot light color. In addition, I am springing for a special treat for my clients that have worked with MJN & Associates Interiors. So come and have a mini massage on me and learn about the steps to put your room together.   Call Salon Greco to schedule your services and I will see you there!

Salon Greco: 678.546.5116

4320 Suwanee Dam Road,  Suwanee, GA

www.salongreco.com

The finishing touches on any room are the accessories. If you are redoing a room, these are the things that should be chosen last, although a favorite accessory may sometimes be an inspiration for a room. There should be a harmony that exists between the style of the accessories and the rest of the room. For example, you would not want to put an ornate gold leaf mirror in a room where you have a denim slip cover on your sofa.

Size, scale and proportion are important things to keep in mind. Too many little accessories appear as clutter. Your best impact will come with sizeable items.  Just make sure to keep them in scale and proportion. For example, the diameter of the shade of your lamp should not bigger that the table you put it on, or that the mirror or art you hang on the wall should not be wider than the table underneath it.

Use restraint when placing accessories. Remember, less is more. But as you decide to accessorize consider some of my favorites:
• Statement Art- A perfect inspiration for a room that can also serve as a focal point.
• Pillows- They are the perfect way to accent and “pull” color around the room.  They can often “carry” the color scheme.
• Plants/Floral arrangements- They bring an organic element in.  They will go in just about any style room.
• Throws- They add color and are functional too.
• Personal Pictures- (photographs)- Limit the number and  place in frames that are in harmony with the room.  Formal pictures look better in formal rooms, casual pictures in casual rooms.
• Large Ceramic Jars- Add color, texture, pattern, depending on style of jar.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]