5 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Space for the New Year!

It’s that time of year… the holiday decorations have been packed away, the days are shorter and darker leaving us longing for a bright, fresh change in our homes and within our lives. With the new year comes momentum for positive change; personal wellness, family habits, home organization – the list goes on. Why not use your home to help propel that momentum and to serve as a reminder that this is a new year and time for a fresh perspective?

In previous posts I have gone into deep detail on how to apply Feng Shui principals to create balance and bring positive energy into your space. This time, I will simply recommend five easy suggestions for you to make a significant change in your space to better reflect the new you, and to create a shift in perspective for the new year.

1. Add a plant (or 3…or 9). Plants are known as the Aspirin of Feng Shui. Have a problem? Add a plant! The benefits of adding a source of life into your space are endless (see my previous post, “Uplift the Energy of Your Space with Three Simple Steps Part II – the Air You Breathe“) and range from removing toxins to increasing immunity. Especially in the dry, cold, dark winters here in Minnesota – plants liven a space and create a sense of vitality and wellness. And YES, you can keep a plant alive! See the post linked above for a list of readily available house plants that I have been able to keep alive for years with minimal upkeep. When it comes to plants, the more the better. Extra tip: Try to arrange plants of varying sizes in 3’s.
2. Remove Nine Items from Each Room:  This is such a fun exercise that I love to do with my clients and creates an immediate shift in your surroundings. The items you choose to remove can be as simple as a pencil or vase or as big as a chair or rug . You can either move the items to another room, dispose of them or donate them. It doesn’t matter. The point is to move things around, change your surroundings and get you to think about all that surrounds you with intention. Think of this as a mini decluttering session for your home, without the pressure of having to get rid of things. For a more detailed yet simple tutorial on how to approach the daunting task of de-cluttering, see my previous post, “Clearing the Clutter“.
3. Add Some COLOR: We all have color families that we are naturally drawn to, which can say a lot about our personalities (see my previous post, “Let’s Talk COLOR!“). However, if we continue to surround ourselves with one particular color family for too long, it can create patterns that are no longer serving us or we can get stuck in a rut. I, for instance, tend to surround myself with lots of greens and blues (the colors of the “Wood Element”). This is great if you want to create growth in a particular area of your life, however  too much Wood can lead to feeling over-extended and overwhelmed (I can vouch for this!). It’s important to shake it up and try new shades, shapes and textures. Need a little more energy and passion in your life? Try adding a pop of Red or Orange. It could be a simple throw pillow, dish towel or a picture frame. If you feel that life is a little out of control, try adding some grounding colors of the “Earth Element” (tans, browns, muted yellows). You can even integrate this step into #2 – bringing colors from another room into a space that needs a shift. Don’t be afraid to play with color, the more elements that are represented, the more balanced your space will feel.
4. Perform a Space Clearing: I know I mention this in nearly every post, but I have to include it here because the results can be so profound. A Space Clearing does exactly as the name implies – it clears out any old, stagnant, negative energy that can leave you feeling stifled or stuck. The result is a feeling of lightness and clarity with room for growth and opportunity. For more information on how to perform a Space Clearing on your own, see my previous post, “Space Clearing – An Easy Way to Re-Energize and Invigorate Your Home“.
5. Use Scent: This isn’t something that I have written specifically about before and only recently started working with clients on. How comfortable you are in your space depends on how it affects you through all of your senses; a well-lit room makes you feel uplifted while a noisy room can make you feel overwhelmed and unable to focus. Likewise, the sense of smell should not be overlooked. Ever walked into someone’s home and could not get over the smell of their dog’s food or last night’s soup? What about when you walked into that spa and immediately felt more relaxed from the aroma of lavender and fresh linens? It’s important that you feel comforted by the sense of smell within your space. You can freshen the scent of your home by lighting a scented candle, diffusing essential oils (see a list of my favorites in my previous post, “The Air Your Breathe” under the third bullet, “Aromatherapy”) or even by simply opening your windows to allow a fresh breeze to blow through (weather permitting).

So give it a shot, try tackling one, two or all five of these steps then notice the shift it makes in your home and your life – refreshed and ready to take on the new year!

Uplift the Energy of Your Space with Three Simple Steps (Part I – Let There be Light)

In the past month, we have had an unusual amount of gatherings at our home. You see – our home is…well, TINY. And while I absolutely love entertaining, our cozy little house isn’t exactly conducive to hosting large parties and events. However somehow every time we do host a little get together I consistently receive the same compliment from our guests…”Your home is beautiful – it FEELS so GOOD in here.”. Feng Shui mission accomplished. This proves that no matter the size or condition of your home, you too can use Feng Shui to create that wonderful, serene, comfortable, homey feeling in your space. I will be publishing three steps as a series in sequence on how to achieve this, so read on below for the first step in bringing this feeling to your home with steps two and three shortly to follow.

#1) LET THE LIGHT IN: You know that scene in movies where the heartbroken, sick or depressed character lays in a dark, stuffy room when their friend walks in, rescuing them by throwing open the curtains and instantaneously SHIFTING the space with the introduction of natural light? This scene likely hits home for most of us as we know the dramatic shift in the energy that takes place with this one simple adjustment. Natural light is imperative to bringing positive energy into a home – and is, in fact the strongest manifestation of positive energy. “Lighting is the single most important thing in my opinion,” says Kelly Edwards, design coordinator for HGTV’s “Design on a Dime” Chicago team. “It definitely can make or break a great design. It sets the tone for the rest of the room and can change the whole feel of the space.” Light nourishes our mind, body and soul and a significant lack of it can drain our energy, productivity and overall well-being.

Consider the two images below – one with an array of light pouring in from the windows, and the other with only dimly lit artificial light. Which room do you think you’d feel more nourished, productive and uplifted in?

I’m continually amazed at the homes I have the opportunity to visit for consultations and how often my clients keep their blinds, drapes or curtains closed. I recently consulted in a beautiful home with a gorgeous formal living room in the front of the house. To my amazement, the curtains looked as if they hadn’t been open in months. When I asked why they preferred to keep the curtains closed, their response was, “The light is too bright”. I understand there are situations where you may want to keep your curtains closed for a short period of time; at night for privacy or during daytime naps – particularly for young children. However if you are lucky enough to have a home that does receive an abundance of natural light – by all means, use it! Let as much light in as possible during the day and I guarantee you will notice a radical difference in the feel and energy of your space.

If you happen to live in a home that does not receive enough natural light (you likely don’t have enough natural light if you need to turn lights on mid-day), you live in an apartment with few windows, or you have rooms in your home that don’t receive adequate light (rooms with north-facing windows, for example) there are still things you can do to brighten your space. One way is to bring in a variety of different lighting sources. We all know the draining affects of florescent lighting, and one way to combat the harmful affects of this harsh lighting is to bring lamps with soft lighting into your cubicle or office. The same goes for your home – you don’t want only overhead or table lamp lighting. Use lamps of different heights and bulb types. If you have a room dependent on lamp lighting, install a chandelier, ceiling fan or recessed lighting in the ceiling. My front room has two large east facing windows that bring in an abundance of beautiful natural morning light. However in the evenings, we depend on light from one south-facing window, a chandelier, tall floor lamp and a table lamp. This provides a comfortable balance of various types of light and from different angles and sources, which creates that nice, cozy yet uplifting feel we long for in our homes.

So what steps can you take to nourish your space with light? By following this first step towards uplifting your space, you will be well on your way to creating this wonderful feeling and positive energy in your own home. Be sure to check back for steps 2 and 3 to complete the process!