Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Feng shui dilemma #1: battle of the coffee table.



I labeled the post this way because I have a sneaking suspicion this will not be the only one. I am having the worst time deciding on a rug after concluding that my current one isn't giving off the right energy. I tried a beige shag one because I've always been a fan of shag but it wasn't working with my large dark brown chest I use as a coffee table. Then I questioned whether I should move the chest into another room and get a new glass or open-bottomed coffee table (AKA find one on craigslist). THEN I confirmed that the dark brown chest is giving off the most positive energy in the living room, since it used to be my toy chest, and now I am suddenly in one decorating pickle. ugh.



Originally, I wanted to skip over the part of feng shui your life that talked about how to get in touch with your inner feng shui because it suggested hugging a tree - literally - to receive its excess energy. Wanting to get to the bottom of the decorating part of feng shui (since my living room is now a giant mess), I figured I could deal with the tree hugging and inner self part later and skip ahead a bit. Going back post-pickle, I noticed a part of the chapter that talked about keeping a feng shui journal. It suggested finding the answers to specific questions (both on decorating and your life) to see what's working and what isn't. Guess that's what I get for trying to skip ahead. 

Anyway, I thought I would share with you the overview questions it asks about your home. I think they force answers to questions about your decorating patterns that you may be trying to avoid or work around. I've answered these questions, FaceBook style, specifically about my living room and suggest you do the same. 

In the meantime, I'll keep you posted on the tree hugging and battle of the toy chest.

What do you love about your home, room by room? 
My couches are outrageously comfortable and the chest I use as my coffee table makes me smile.

What do you dislike about your home, room by room? 
I feel like the design is starting to look a little bland and dull. I feel as though it could use some brightening up.

How do you feel when you walk through your front door? 
Like I have a mess on my hands. 7 times out of 10 I have last night's dinner/snack on the table, mail from 3 weeks ago and random bags of stuff I haven't put away yet based on my latest trips or errands.

Does your home have an abundance of natural light or is it dark and gloomy? 
There is a lot of natural light during the day but it gets dark pretty quick.

Is your home in good repair?
As good as it can be for a rented apartment. If owned, I would strip and refinish the floors and give it a new paint job. I would probably also get central air because the window unit is a bit of an eye sore and takes away some of the sunlight.

Do you have clutter that depletes you the moment you see it?
Yes. I let the mail stack up and use the space as a dumping ground in between plans. Also, I think my entertainment unit is a huge eye sore full of random DVDs, Nintendo games and a TV that's too big based on how often I watch it.

Do you feel comfortable inviting friends and colleagues into your home or do you generally meet elsewhere?
Yes, I would definitely need to clean though. Even if I didn't have time, they would understand and wouldn't care.

How much of the contents of your home have been chosen by you? How much is inherited? Are there hand-me-downs? Are you displaying objects from a past relationship?
I have chosen everything in there except for the toy chest. I feel as though some of the pieces are hand-me-downs because I've had them since college. Specifically my entertainment unit and TV. The other pieces (rug, rattan side tables, curtains, etc.) I've had since I've graduated. None of the objects are directly from a past relationship although most have been seen by all.

Do you like being at home or would you rather stay away?
Depends on the size of the mess I'm running away from.

Do you feel motivated and full of potential when you are at home?
Only if I buckle down and force myself.

Do your home and office symbolize who you really are and where you hope to go?
Some aspects, yes, but most no. I feel as though they symbolize my past and I need to incorporate the present and future.

No comments:

Post a Comment