Feng Shui for Everday

Copyright (c) 2009 Alice Chan

I was curious, as I’m sure the rest of you were when they announced this new program airing on HGTV on July 22, if it would be a true depiction of what the Staging life is like. I would have to say that it’s probably the most realistic of the shows that are out there today, but still doesn’t tell the whole story. Regardless, here are some things that I feel you could learn from the show.

1) Have a plan for your project. I’m actually a little shocked by the lack of planning and utter chaos that is depicted. Maybe it’s just for TV drama to make it more interesting, but realistically, if that’s how you are running your business, you NEED TO TAKE CONTROL immediately.

My recommendation to you is:

a) always see the property beforehand

b) take before photos

c) map out plans for each room so that choosing inventory is more targeted and streamlined

d) create a list of staging inventory needed.

There is absolutely no reason why most projects should take more than a day. I would say 97% of the straight “staging” projects I’ve worked on was completed within one day. Anything that took more was because of the size of the project (5000+ square foot home or multiple units) OR if there were delays on other related projects.

When I first started my staging business, I was running back to the warehouse to pick up things we forgot or shopping at the last minute because we didn’t have what we needed, and I’m not saying that you won’t still have to do this occasionally, but you want to avoid these delays as much as you can and the best way to do that is to have a plan going into every single project.

2) Do be tactful with your clients. The Designers on “The Stagers” are good at keeping their opinions to a minimum in front the client. Some of the other Staging shows seem to enjoy poking fun at how awful a home looks. I’m all for being truthful and honest with your clients, but being tactful will definitely earn you more brownie points and help you maintain your professional image.

Most of the time, they already know their property is not in “top selling” condition, that’s why they called you. There’s no reason to make a mockery of the situation. Perhaps again, the criticisms voiced are for ratings, but most real life people would not be too thrilled with you if that’s how you approached them.

3) Do Keep your Inventory Organized. This is always a challenge for any Staging Company. It’s a never ending struggle with having “too much” when it all comes back and not having enough when you’re super busy.

The Dekora warehouse featured on the show is enormous compared to probably 99% of the staging firms out there. Most of us do not have the luxury of a 10,000 square foot space with seemingly unlimited inventory available. I started off with storing my inventory in our one car garage and back stairs when my husband and I lived in a townhouse. We eventually graduated to one large storage unit, then two, and finally to an 1100 square foot warehouse.

Then there was the challenge of keeping the zones organized - linens, kitchen accessories, bath accessories, floral/greenery, silk trees, lamps, chairs, art, etc. We toyed with the idea of building shelving so that we could capitalize on the vertical space in the warehouse, but then there was the safety issue with our team members going up and down.

I can’t say we ever really perfected “Staging the Warehouse”, but one thing we always tried to do was unpack after a destage and put everything back into their respective zones so that it was easy to pull inventory for the next project. The more disciplined you are in this area, the more sane you can remain. I actually designated Fridays or a day when there were no Staging Projects scheduled as Warehouse days - time to reorganize, clean and repair inventory.

4) Do Keep in Mind Who the Prospective Buyers will be and Design the Staging Accordingly. This skill will set you apart from just being a “wannabe” stager to being a true Real Estate Partner and a Professional Staging Designer.

There are many Real Estate Agents who are guilty of this as well. They don’t keep in mind who the target audience is - who would be your prospective buyer? Is it a young family? Are they empty nesters? Are they young bachelors/bachelorettes? These considerations must be top of mind when designing your Staging.

It’s not about just adding artwork and putting furniture into a room. The personality that is added with accessories should portray the type of lifestyle that one would want to live in that home. This is one thing that the Designers on the show are good at exploring and working with.

5) Build a Staging Team. This is something all of you should work towards. Just as on the show, they have the Staging Boss, Senior Stager, Home Stager, Staging Assistants, Movers, Handymen, etc., so should you.

My role was a cross between the Staging Boss and the Senior Stager as I was never completely hands-off. Building a team to work with not only makes each project more efficient, it also makes it a lot of more fun because you can bounce creative ideas off of one another.

I’ve had people on my team at all levels. Movers who just helped move inventory to and from the staging sites (mostly large pieces of furniture so we can totally relate to the sofa not fitting in the elevator or door - I dreaded getting those calls), Staging interns who actually did hands-on staging work, but can be the perfect team member to help wipe down furniture, clean mirrors and art, iron bedding, pump up airbeds, etc.

I also strongly believe there should be a Team Lead so that there is someone who is in charge on-site, otherwise it would be too chaotic.

Here are few other tips depicted on the show that I you should definitely keep in mind for your own businesses (if you’re not already doing so):

* Incorporate feng shui principles in your staging (in some parts of the country, THIS IS HUGE - like So. Cal)

* Don’t forget to address curb appeal issues

* Paint over unattractive, unmarketable wall colors

* Add dramatic art and accessories for high impact

* Bring rooms back to its originally intended purpose

* Don’t fight with what’s not working, like trying to use the homeowner’s things

* Use scale appropriate furniture

Alice Chan
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/lessons-learned-from-hgtvs-quotthe-stagersquot-723979.html

Yes, you do that!
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I’m a female, married and currently looking for my personal feng shui tips on the net re: love, marriage, family, wealth and career for the year of the white tiger (2010). Previous years has not been good for me in those aspects. Hope any feng shui expert could help me out. Thanks.

1972 is the year of the Rat, which is Yang Water in this year. August is the month of the Sheep or Goat in this year and is Yin Fire. The 3rd day is Tiger in this month and year and is Yang Fire. I don’t know what this means for this year, however, all I know is the elements. You are also a Leo in Tropical astrology which is a Fire sign.

The Chinese call the expression of “energy” Chi, but what are the basic qualities of this energy? It is invisible, intangible and changeable however we all feel it, in some shape or form.

If we can lift our Chi or spirit we will get more from life and this is exactly what Feng Shui helps us do.

Lifting Your Spirit & Mood

feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of manipulating and arranging your surroundings to attract positive life energy, or chi, so that it flows smoothly, unblocking any obstructions in your body and environment.

The Origins of Feng Shui

The geography of China requires careful consideration when constructing and planning buildings as the mountain winds are unforgiving and the lower areas are prone to flooding, which gave the art its name of wind and water.

Feng Shui evolved from the theory that people are affected by their surroundings Feng Shui is a guide to, respecting our surroundings and working with the flow of nature to create a harmonious environment, making us feel better and derive more from life.

The origins of Feng Shui date back several thousand years and although it originated in China, it now has millions of devotees worldwide.

Feng Shui theory

Take an example such as air, If there is one quality within air that we are all naturally aware of, it is the presence of oxygen as we can’t live without it!

We all feel when we have exercised that our body is well oxygenated and our Chi, our spirit and mood, feels invigorated as a consequence.

Conversely, if we sit for a long time in a hot Smokey room or sleep in an unventilated one we, will feel tired, despondent and unenthusiastic. There are of course a huge amount of examples of how are environment influences our lives, of which the above is just one.

The flow of chi is influenced by a number of factors of the physical environment.

Colors, shapes, orientation, lighting, objects and their positions, the use of space, and the degree of cleanliness, all impact collectively upon our senses and determine a home’s energy flow.

This flow affects us continually and affects our moods. You spend most of your life in your home and workplace and your surroundings significantly influence your Chi and moods so you want them to have a positive impact.

Feng Shui makes our houses and our workspace generate positive energy, which then attracts more positive energy to enrich our lives for the better.

The purpose of feng shui

When you Feng Shui a home or a work place, you’re making a statement of what you want from your life.

Whenever you say the words “I am,” you are making a statement about who you are at an exact moment in time.

When you make statements such as “I am broke” or “I am tired” you are in effect telling the universe about your mood and your condition. When you say you’re sick and tireduniverse about your mood and your condition. When you say you’re sick and tired, you probably will be Sick and tired.

Statements like “what you think about, you bring about,” and “what you do comes back to you.” underline what Feng shui is all about.

Instead of being negative Feng Shui focuses on the positive “I am feeling great”, “I am in good health”, “I am rich” or “I am happy.”

These statements are mood lifting and create an ideal, which be different to whom you are at the moment.

This power of intention and the faith in your potential can help you get more from life.

If you’re intent on getting rid of negative beliefs, Feng Shui will create a method for you to adopt positive beliefs, in your personal space and a method to help make more positive things happen in your life.

How Feng Shui enriches your life

If you think about it, your surroundings are so important to your mood and how you view the outside world that, getting an environment to reflect your aims and aspirations makes total sense.

Learn how to Feng Shui your space and you will change your life for the better.

Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/feng-shui-develop-a-positive-attitude-with-this-philosophy-56357.html

Is it that you have set up a new company, hired the best people in business, put in all the money required and still not getting the results that you are seeking? Chances are that the building in which you have set up your new office is not designed as per Vaastu Shastra. Now you must be wondering what vaastu shastra is and what connection this has got with either the success or the failure of your new business venture. Vaastu Shastra is an ancient and traditional Hindu norm of town planning and architecture that suggests placing things in coordination with the metaphysical and physical forces. Conceptually Vaastu is similar to the ancient Chinese art of feng shui in the sense that it advocates the harmonization of the flow of energy in the atmosphere. Following vaastu tips have turned out to be greatly beneficial for several business undertakings and households as well.

You just need to make sure that you are following the right vaastu tips or else this can harm you, your family and your business to a great extent. There are some vaastu tips, which you may find difficult to implement, but if you take a little effort and do this, you will feel the benefits very soon. Some of the common vaastu tips that you can easily incorporate in your house or your office are to arrange the furniture of your house or office in the form of an octagon, a circle or a square as will be suitable to your house of office. Keeping a water body in your living room is said to be beneficial, so what you can do is place a water body like an aquarium. The aquarium must have nine fishes including eight goldfish and one black fish.

Vaastu suggests that there should not be any obstructive houses or other constructions that are obstructive to your house. Vaastu shastra needs to be implemented in the very early stages when you decide to purchase a plot for constructing your house or your office. After you have constructed the house or bought the plot of land, it will be extremely difficult on your part to take down things or rearrange them in a sequence as per vaastu norms. Therefore, from the very beginning you must ensure that you see a vaastu shastra specialist and take his guidance and vaastu tips while purchasing the plot for your house or constructing your house. You must ensure that you enlist the services of the best vaastu shastra specialist in your city and implement the vaastu tips in constructing your house or office.

Some of the other vaastu tips that you can easily implement in your day-to-day lives are not to hoard withered flowers, stale food, waste paper or any other waste materials, torn clothes, useless things, empty jars and tins. All these stale and waste things are believed to prevent Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth from entering the house. Take care that that your house and office has enough of sunlight and air coming in.

Amit Bhalla

These days stress is the number one killer of relationships and productivity. Stress is everywhere. Now day’s even small kids get stressed fast due to peer pressure, pressures from class and the amount of homework that is placed upon them. Many people have started turning to the ancient art of Feng Shui to make their home and office clutter free and pleasant.

These day’s even classrooms are aligned as advised by Fengshui so that the kids can have maximum productivity. Let’s examine the ways in which we can achieve a feng shui classroom:

Fengshui Tip #1- Clear the clutter

Clutter is perhaps one of the most stressful and harmful aspects of a classroom. Make the class room as clutter free as possible. Remove all the charts, posters and hangings that are not required. Do not keep too many books and papers in the class room cupboards. Keep them as tidy as possible.

Fengshui Tip #2- Classroom arrangements

Most classrooms have close seated arrangements. The desk should be arranged in the following manner.

The teacher’s desk should always be facing the door with its back firmly against the wall. This is the power position and imperative to the teacher. For pupils’ desks, you need to avoid square pillows, sharp corners, and desk in rows.

Bring in nature calls. Classrooms should be arranged as close to nature as possible. They should be made to depict the natural beauty and tranquility. Use earth toned colors and plants into your class room to keep it natural. Use real plants, free form shapes, and beautiful natural sceneries to make your class room beautiful. You need to avoid furnishing like mirrors.

Fengshui Tip #3- Classroom enhancements

Avoid using fluorescent light in the class room since it gives a claustrophobic and closed feeling. Plan activities in the natural sunlight or set up excursions to natural places. This will not only make children appreciate nature but also save them from the uncomfortable glare of the tube light. Ask students to get their own floor lamps if they really must use light in the class room.

Provide soothing music in the class. Music has the power to heal the mind, body and soul. Music can also help in increasing concentration. The steady and soothing rhythm of classical music is ideal for setting the class room environment for independent reading or class work. Hence, try including music in your classroom during class room periods.

Provide water in the class room as water symbolizes flow and serenity. Feng Shui suggests that water must be present at a learning place to symbolize the flow of knowledge. You can add a small aquarium, fish bowel, water garden or a table top water fall to your class room. Besides being soothing for the classroom environment, it can also help children in enhancing their creative writing, art and research abilities.

Feng Shui can be used in the classrooms to enhance the child’s creativity and innovation skills so use Fengshui to enhance your class room and learning capacity. The next time your students start to falter, consider turning to the ancient oriental art of geomancy and try to achieve a feng shui classroom.

Lynn Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/feng-shui-classroom-applying-fengshui-in-your-classroom-537767.html