Besides enjoying the typical summer recreation activities many families take advantage of during the warm weather, summer also provides a wonderful opportunity to either plan or actually do that long awaited room addition, remodel one or more rooms or rebuild and fix up those areas of the home that were damaged by the ravages of weather. I often get asked “where do we begin”, or “how do we know what types of flooring, wall coverings and countertops are best”?
The answer usually comes from determining how you are going to use the room and how much energy is required in the room in order to accomplish its maximum enjoyment and usage. For example, if the room you are repairing or adding is a new master bedroom, that room should reflect peaceful energy. You will need quiet soothing colors on the walls and floor with only a few accent pieces in bright active colors. If you are remodeling or enlarging a family room where most of the family activities take place, that room needs to be more energetic in nature to enhance interaction. There you would use slightly brighter colors on the walls, more neutral colors on the floor and bright uplifting colors in the furnishings and accents to create an energized cheerful zone.
There are a few things you can do to ensure that the outcome of the room is exactly what you want, not what the various sales people, builders and cabinetry people insist you must have. Start by creating a box or envelope for each room you are remodeling, rebuilding or adding on. Next, visit your local paint store or paint department in a home builder’s store. Pick up and take home as many of the free paint chips as you need to help you make a decision. If the energy in the room needs to be quiet, look for cool calming colors like pastel blues, greens and taupes. If you want a high energy room, either brighten up the soft cool colors by going toward aqua or lime green; or look at higher energy colors such as mauve, beach sand yellows or sunset peaches and plums. Also pick up copies of the paint company’s booklets. They show you what colors best harmonize with each other making your choices easier. You can apply their color concepts to other things besides the colors of your walls such as flooring, furnishings and window treatments.
Step two, spend time looking through all of the wonderful magazines and catalogues that are available on home décor, walls, floors and windows. Every time you see something you really love, clip it out and place it into your box. Eventually you will arrive at a whole stash of things you’ve clipped for your building project. As you start to review all of your clippings you will notice a definite trend of things you really love and other things that are nice but not so high on your list of favorites. Be sure to include pictures of floor coverings, wall colors, furnishings and window treatments.
Step three; review everything you’ve collected, ranking them in order of importance with number one being the combination you love the most. That combination with give you the best energy for the room based on your criteria of usage and the energy provided by the colors, floor coverings and furnishing you’ve chosen. Once you’ve reached this point then return to the stores and obtain more samples of the ideal flooring along with fabric color swatches. Take them home and match those with your pictures and paint color chips. Put together as many options as possible with the materials you’ve collected. Continue this process until you have found the perfect combination.
Now you are ready to work with a builder or handyman because you have a very good idea of exactly what you want. This way, you can rely on your builder to give you professional advice, budgeting and cost saving information based on what you want, not what someone else thinks you should have. It is your home, you need your positive energy in your new room addition or remodel job and it should reflect your energy needs and choices. Feng Shui is all about enhancing your energy through the use of color, sound and shape in your surroundings so it is important that what you surround yourself with is exactly what you want.
Download “Use Feng Shui when remodeling or rebuilding” in PDF Format.
© Pat Heydlauff, All Rights Reserved
Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her new book, “Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It,” shows how to achieve a better tomorrow. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, call: 561-408-2708.