5 Ways to Improve Feng Shui When Starting a New Business

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese system of rules, concepts and principles which attempts to explain the impact on people's lives of the layout and design of their homes/businesses and the impact of the environment around them. The literal Chinese translation of feng shui is wind and water. The principles are still treated with some scepticism in the West but I think a very pertinent analogy can be drawn between acupuncture about which Westerners were similarly doubtful but which is now seen as a valid alternative medicine in its own right.

The first way in which you can improve your business is by considering its location. Basic no-nos for a business are location near a subway entrance, facing an oncoming road or at the end of a cul-de-sac or dead-end road. It is also considered bad luck to be situated near a place of religious worship, church, mosque etc as it is considered that religious buildings create a strong spiritual energy that can overtake the active chi needed to nourish business. The best principle to bear in mind is the mantra of estate agents location, location, location. Your new business should therefore be located where it is visible to a lot of people and not stuck in a backstreet.

A business's name also needs to be given careful consideration. You should avoid using words suggesting death or misfortune in a business's title. Ideally a business name should evoke a business's purpose, be easy to remember and have a nice rhythm to it. In today's age you must also have something that stands out from your competitors and is distinctive.

Moving on to practical matters you should pay attention to the entrance and in particular the entrance door. This is considered by the Chinese to be the business's mouth and therefore should be large enough that the business doesn't starve. It should be at least as large as its competitor across the road. It is also relevant that the entrance should be inviting to potential customers ie be set out in bold colours.

One of the most important things to bear in mind is the Wealth Corner. This is located in the southeastern corner of the business usually diagonally across from the main entrance. To try and enhance chi (positive energy) the Chinese usually adorn this area with symbols of prosperity, coins, a cash register etc. This area should ideally be kept clear of all clutter and well-lit. Another thing that the Chinese are very fond of doing and which you should definitely consider is putting a tank containing between 5 and 8 goldfish in the Wealth Corner. (Don't put 4 goldfish there - this number symbolizes death in China.)

Finally, as a lot of businesses nowadays are offices you also need to consider the very specific feng shui rules that relate to them. There are certain things that you should certainly avoid in an office situation such as having a light shining directly above your head or sitting at a desk with a window at your back. You should aim for an office environment with positive vibes ie light-filled, airy and as mentioned above an uncluttered money corner with lots of symbols of wealth.

In all aspects of feng shui always attempt to emphasize the positive. Good luck.

Feng Shui Basics Every Home Buyer Should Know

If you're looking for a new home there are some basic feng shui tips you'll want to keep in mind. This will make it easier for you to select a home that has good basic feng shui and works with your personal feng shui energy too.

1) Find a home that is on a square lot. This will create overall balance for the property and allow an even flow of both yin and yang energy.

2) The home should be centered on the lot rather than off to one side, too close to the front yard (leaving a much larger back yard) or too close to the back (leaving a much larger front yard). If the home has a bigger front yard than back yard bringing money into your household will be easy but hanging onto it will be difficult.

If the front yard is smaller than the backyard bringing money into your household will be hard but once you get it you will have an easier time saving it. Try to find a home where the front and back yards are equal in size.

3) There should be trees, another home or fence behind the house to hold the positive energy on your property and make it easier to hold on to your money.

4) Stand in the street and look at the front of the home. Any vegetation, buildings, telephone poles, flag poles, trees, etc. should be higher on the right side of the house than the left. If it is the other way around it can create legal problems and/or angry females in the home.

5) The ideal shape of a home is square, however it can be difficult to find a perfectly square home. If the home isn't square then you will at least want the home to have all of your 4 personal best directions (Success, Health, Relationships, Wisdom) because if any of these areas are partially or completely missing you will have more problems in these areas of your life.

Your personal best directions are different from general feng shui directions for Success, Health, Relationships and Wisdom. Your personal directions are specific to you and based on your birthday.

6) Ideally the front door should face the Success or Relationship direction of the bread winner in the family. If you are retired then finding a home where the front door faces any of your four best directions is fine.

7) Your master bedroom should be in one of your four best directions in the home. A simplified way to determine this is to draw a tic-tac-toe symbol over the floor plan of the house and see what direction the master bedroom is located in (N, S, E, W, SE, SW, NE or NW). If it's in one of your four best directions this will be good for you.

Feng Shui 101 For Beginners

The ancient art has many elements that are interesting to learn if you are interested. Many aspects can determine what type of person you are. The different elements to remember are:

1. Water- Promoting development and energy, water plays a crucial role in the 5 elements. Having a fountain is a way of promoting wealth, but too many times flushing your toilet or running your sink is symbolic of wasting wealth.

2. Wood- This element in the decorating art form promotes motivation and passion in your home. Having plants in your home is a good way of welcoming the motivating power of wood and help you focus on the tasks at hand.

3. Fire- Similar to wood in the representation of passion, fire is the most powerful element in the ancient art. With the incorporation of fire in your decoration, you can bring that spark back into a rough relationship and have more passion in places where it counts.

4. Metal- This part of the feng shui puzzle will help you promote attention. Is it needed to have attention brought to your home? Having attention brought into your home will make up for the many times which you cannot get anything done because of the lack of attention.

5. Earth- This is one of the most stable of elements in the cycle. Having a firm foundation in everything you do will get you to get things done. When you have that steadiness, you can better appreciate the need for the elements.

With the different elements, you can better organize you place of business, home or help out a friend. Feng Shui is very important if you are to find balance in your life.

This ying and yang feng is another way to help with relaxing you and bringing that inner calm in your life that we all need. When you have that inner peace within yourself, you feel like a better person.

Feng Shui Remedies For Increasing Your Luck and Bringing Great Fortune

Feng shui does wonders to those who seek good or better fortune. The whole idea of is to employ good fortune feng shui remedies in proper positions to attract or bring about positive chi into their surrounding environments to benefit the lives of the users. Feng shui is surprisingly very easy to use, and is proven to be very powerful. Enhancers or cures placed in the right orientation aids in the harnessing of good energy or positive chi which brings about and maintains harmony in the area that it is meant for, and brings more wealth, good health, prosperity and happiness to those who use it.

Learning to activate all energies will truly benefit you with increased luck and good fortune.

The most potent of the feng shui remedies to increase your good fortune is the symbol of the dragon, it's also one of the most popular feng shui remedies that's used today. It is said to create the precious cosmic chi that brings good luck and increased wealth into our homes and offices. Combined with moving water, the dragon's representation and power are even more increased. The north area is the best place to display this dragon-water feature combination. This will bring your career endless success. If placed in the southeast, it will surely bring you plenty of financial luck.

The elephant is also an excellent good fortune feng shui symbol. It is said to represent power and prominence that is usually associated with the head of the family or company. The elephant is also said to be the granter of wishes. Placing an elephant in your office brings about successful business deals and endeavors.

The laughing Buddha symbol is also especially powerful in increasing your luck with family and children. He is said to bring good luck and an abundance of positive chi.

You can use feng shui remedies such as wind chimes to create a natural balance of energies in your life. This will also attract happiness and good fortune into your home.

The number 9 is considered a lucky number and is an overall power number in the attainment of good fortune.

Windows, especially if able to open fully outwards, are also good focal points for attracting wealth into your life.

Any cure that you choose to employ should come with a distinct, honest and willed intention. Before you move anything in, out, or within a room, make sure that it is clear that you are doing so to attract good luck and wealth.

It is also advisable to do the same when you are thinking about or intending to add something or remove something from the room. Ask yourself questions like, "What will this mean for my fortune?", "How will this affect me?", "Am I following correct Feng Shui theory?"

Remember that good fortune comes not only from the physical, but the emotional plays a big role in the cultivation of your goal as well. Make sure that YOU are ready for whatever the good fortune feng shui remedies will bring.

Feng Shui Prosperity - Secrets to More Wealth With Water

In feng shui, prosperity and wealth energy can be increased by using moving water, and is considered a very powerful cure. It symbolizes nourishment, wealth and the flow of life. Water not only stimulates the mind with its soothing sound but it also has the ability to give the body energy.

It is advisable to add water cures to both the interior and exterior of your home or office. It creates a peaceful environment, the sound of flowing water over stones and rocks creates a gentle, soothing sound that emits energies relating to health, the release of negative elements, well-being and ease in breathing.

Fountains are among the most popular water cure symbols in feng shui. Prosperity can be enhanced by use of fountains or waterfalls, which provide a constant flow of energy, and if placed efficiently, will have a huge beneficial impact on any space. It is important to remember not to place it where the fire element is strongest, as it dampens the energies in that area.

Moving water connotes the increased flow of your income. The steadier and more constant the flow of water, the more money will flow into your home bringing you increased feng shui prosperity. Still bodies of water, on another hand, represent stored wealth. It also symbolizes clarity and depth of knowledge. Good examples of these are lakes, ponds, and pools, all of which help enhance the good chi in its environment.

There are a few key principles to be observed when adding a water cure to your environment.

Make sure that the size of the water cure is proportionate to your house. Too large of a body of water will overwhelm the house's energy and suck in the occupants' chi. Take note of the shape and placement of the water body. Organic shapes are better for pools and ponds in close proximity to the house. Sharp angles and edges of a square or rectangular water feature represent poison arrows, which can stimulate accidents for the residents. Shapes that have angles pointing away from the house also represent money leaving the home. Organic shapes which "hug" and surround the house are better in feng shui, prosperity energy can be gathered and stay in the house. Any still water should be clear and clean as this represents your finances and state of mind.

Another powerful symbol for a water cure are aquariums. Aquariums with fish in them represent a combination of water energy and living energy. Aquariums are usually fitted with pumps that increase the flow of energy of feng shui. Prosperity and wealth energy symbolized in these tanks, stimulates the flow of existing chi as well as attracting new chi. Aquariums with fish are said to bring good luck, good fortune, and a constant flow of wealth. The best fish for aquariums are colorful, playful fish, which stimulate flexibility and ease in dealing with various things in your life.

Water embodies the yin energy-it is calm, soothing and neutral. The best colors for this energy are blue and black. Wavy shapes and metallic hues that symbolize the flow and reflective property of water are also good representations of this energy and this element. Water is the first and the last in the Productive cycle. It starts the cycle by providing nourishment, and ends it as a product of its own creative cycle.

Vastu Shastra Brings Positive Energy to Your Home

Vastu Shastra is the Vedic study of architecture, which follows certain principles and is aligned with certain beliefs. It is akin to the Oriental belief of Feng Shui. Vastu rests on the conception that every living and non-living thing on Earth has a soul. And souls react to the magnetic forces covering the Earth. By following Vastu principles people believe they stay in harmony with the cosmic energy, thus positively affecting their lives.

Interestingly, Vastu states that matter is made of five basic elements. They are earth, water, fire, wind and ether or vacuum. These elements can be recognized as the basis of many types of beliefs. The already mentioned Feng Shui is one of them, and the other is of course astrology that also has 'fire', 'water', 'earth' and 'wind' signs.

So, if one wants a house to aid in the general well-being, health, happiness and prosperity of its occupants, then Vastu Shastra is one of the ways in which this can be done.

Vastu dictates how your house should be built, what direction the doors and windows should open, what are the ingredients that should or should not be used in the construction of certain rooms, and what furniture should be placed where in the house. To sum it up, one can easily leave it upon Vastu to design and set one's house!

The concepts of Vastu rely on the tenets that combination of aforesaid elements can be made to aid in one's over all well-being in the world. Hence, advices may range from refraining to use river-mud while constructing one's puja-room, or placing the bed in the bedroom in a North-South direction. And if a river flows in the vicinity of the house, then what should be the direction of the rooms and doors and windows.

While a number of Vastu instructions can be explained scientifically, some ambiguities remain, which can easily be credited to the long time-difference between the era in which it would have been created and the present age.

As can be seen, Vastu covers a major part of one's lifestyle. And as it happens with every all encompassing subject, the followers of Vastu are many. Builders take care to follow the advice of Vastu-gurus before finalizing a design for any prospective building, as a considerable number of buyers and clients tend to follow Vastu Shastra.

The ancient science is so popular among some firm believers that it can become a matter of deciding upon the sale or rent of any major architectural construction. This makes Vastu a major mover of market and real estate dealings. All in all, Vastu Shastra is an important moving force in Indian architecture, and major parts of the clientele consider the Vastu-friendliness of the dealing.

12 Amazing Tips on How to Feng Shui Your Living Room

In feng shui, one of the most important area that you should feng shui for good luck and good fortune is your home living room. Your living room is one area that has a significant impact on your general feng shui in your home. Hence, it is important for us not to neglect our living room for good feng shui. By making an effort to feng shui your living room, you are activating good health, good relationship, good harmony and general good fortune to everyone living under one's roof.

How To Feng Shui Your Personal Living Room For Health

The second most important place that you should feng shui after your bedroom will be your personal living room. This space is a very significant place to feng shui for health. Below are 3 feng shui tips on how to feng shui your personal living room for health.

1. Add Auspicious Feature To Your Front Door
The best feature to have near the vicinity of the front door is a water feature which can be a miniature fountain, an artificial waterfall or a fish pond. Placing such auspicious features are deemed to be very good feng shui to enhance the health of everyone living in the house.

2. Sit On Red Sofa Cushions While Watching TV
To promote good harmony and health for everyone living under one's roof, you should buy a red sofa cushions for everyone to sit while watching television. The color red is deemed to be very auspicious color for all family members which will promote good overall health for everyone.

3. Living Rooms Must Have One Solid Wall
In any living room, there should be at least ONE solid wall. In addition, this wall should be directly facing the door into the room. This allows the chi to flow into and around the room, instead of escaping through windows that may have been placed directly opposite the door.

How To Feng Shui Your Personal Living Room For Relationship

If you want to improve your relationship with your loved ones, friends or anyone, you should feng shui your personal living room. There are feng shui cures and remedies to help you establish good relationship with anyone in your life. The following are 3 tips on how to feng shui your personal living room for relationship.

1. The Taboo Of The Main Door In Your Living Room
The fengshui of the main door is the single most important feature to get right. This is the kou or mouth of your living space. It is through the main door that all your good luck comes to you. Do not let your main door open into a cramped space. In addition, you should also avoid letting your main door open onto a long straight corridor.

2. Your Staircase Can Affect Your Relationship
If you can feng shui your staircase well, you can encourage good relationship to arise and make its way to the private quarters of the family. Always keep the staircase and the landing well lighted since this attracts the chi to flow up the stairs. If your staircase is narrow, one way to overcome it is to hang a large mirror to visually widen it.

3. Healthy Green Plants To Bring In The Garden Into Your Living Room
In your living room, you can display healthy green plants to promote good relationship between family members. Plants are always lucky if they grow lush and healthy. By displaying healthy green plants, you can help to enhance your relationship with your loved ones, friends and outside people.

How To Feng Shui Your Personal Living Room For Harmony

Your living room is the root key to enhancing good harmony in the family. You can promote a harmonious and amicable home living with good feng shui. The following are three tips to feng shui your personal living room for harmony.

1. Missing Corners
If you have missing corners in your living room layout, you can use plants to symbolically create usage of the empty space. However, try to leave the space directly in front of your main front door empty of plants.

2. Activate Mountain Stars
Hang a photograph or a painting of mountains in your living room to magnify auspicious earth energy. This will promote good harmony in the household.

3. Use Fire To Overcome Anger
To overcome the number 3 argumentative star which brings hostility, anger and misunderstandings and quarrels, use fire energy. Install bright lights or place red-colored scatter cushions in the living room. You could also have a red carpet or hang a predominantly red-colored painting in your living room to suppress the number 3 disharmony star.

How To Feng Shui Your Personal Living Room For General Good Feng Shui

Last but now least, we will touch on how to use general feng shui tips on your personal living room to create a harmonious and amicable home living in the household. The following are three amazing tips on how to feng shui your personal living room for general good feng shui.

1. Place A Dragon Tortoise In The North Of Your Living Room
If you want protection and good fortune for everyone living in the household, you should display a dragon tortoise in the North area of your living room. The dragon tortoise protects and supports you and your ideas, and it also represents longevity. It is extremely beneficial for every household to have at least one image of the tortoise in the living room.

2. Get Rich And Happy With The Laughing Buddha
Display an image of the laughing buddha in your living room to promote good fengshui in your home. By inviting the laughing buddha into your home, you will enjoy great wealth and prosperity. It also means that everyone living there will be happy and in a perpetual good mood.

3. Bring The Fire Element Into Your Living Room
You can bring the fire element into your living room by introducing reds and oranges into the decor. This will enhance good harmony and good fortune to everyone living in the household.

Learn the Basics of Feng Shui Gardening Quickly

Creating or building your garden is very important for your home. In my case, it's more important than the inside of my home because I love the outdoors. I enjoy being out in the garden for coffee in the morning, lunches, social gatherings, to read, and for any other excuse I can think of. Feng shui in the garden only requires understanding a few basic principles, and does not require a degree.

The first basic principle to understand about feng shui is that it is not a religion. Feng shui doesn't require the belief in any god; it is simply the art of perfect placement to maximize good energy. In order to get the maximum peace and harmony into your garden, it is important to balance the energy and correctly place all of the elements that will be in the garden. Feng Shui literally translates to "wind and water", so these are two elements you must obviously have in your garden

Water in your garden can take many forms. You can have a waterfall, creek, pond, or even just a running fountain or two. I like the sound of running or flowing water, so two running fountains are excellent, and a pond with a few peaceful koi fish. If you live in a rainy state, you may want to consider the many options you have available for hand made fountains or a man made creek.

Wind will always be in your garden. Wind travels on its own accord and there isn't too much you can use to harness it. But there are a few things you can use to appreciate it. A few options are small windmills, wind chimes, trees, or any object designed to be animated by wind.

Aside from the two most important elements of wind and water, there are nine elements for a prefect feng shui garden. For lack of space, I combine elements. These elements are wealth, fame, partnership, family, energy, children, friends, career, and knowledge. Each one is represented or amplified by its own elements and symbols.

Wealth is represented by rich purple and soft wood such as some bushes and plants. This is obviously very easy to incorporate into your garden with bushes and purple flowers.

Fame requires a bit more thought, but is represented by bright colors and unique designs. You can do this with bright flowers, or with bright and unique garden accessories and decorations.

Partnership is amplified by earth. Balancing the fame aspect, you may wish to use earthy hues such as wood chips or dark soil.

Family is promoted by the use of dark green, hard wood, and running water. So consider a sitting space that combines these three elements and the whole family can sit in. This can even be on a patio or porch that looks out to the garden, rather than actually in the garden.

Energy's favorite color is yellow, and having a focal point in your garden using a shade of yellow and standing water serves as a perfect energy source for your garden. This does not need to be anything more than a birdbath, or it can also be a pond or even a well.

Children zones are easy to enhance. The use of wind chimes and bells are natural choices for this element. Spacing these throughout the garden helps make the whole garden a happy place for children.

Friends are promoted by seating in open air environments. White is the optimal color for friendship, and hard metal is the optimal element to use. I like to combine this with the energy zone to promote high spirits and good friendship.

Career elements are meant to encourage a happy work ethic. Use water (running or standing), and the colors black and dark blue to encourage the career zones. It can be combined with elements of the partnership zone easily.

Knowledge is one element in feng shui that should not be denied its own area. Many areas can be combined to save space, but knowledge should be represented by a semi-private area optimized for personal meditation and reflecting. Use colors such as tan, brown, and yellow to promote knowledge.

Besides a well laid garden being visually pleasing, it can also promote health and well being. Having a plan before building a garden will help you get the most out of every inch of your garden.

4 Fantastic Feng Shui Cures For Revving Your Career Into High Gear

Feng Shui cures--you may be wondering if you're new to this...what in the world is a Feng Shui cure? And how can these so-called "cures" help me achieve any of my goals? Good questions that deserve solid answers, don't you think?

In Feng Shui, a cure is a solution to an energetic problem that you're having. Specifically, an energetic problem you're experiencing in your surroundings that Feng Shui holds the answer to. Feng Shui has proven ways of solving problems in specific areas of your life. Areas or life regions, if you will, that are essential to the quality of life you live because each one represents an extremely important aspect of your life.

Career is one of those areas that are deemed important enough to deserve a special region assigned to it on the well known life map that most, if not all Feng Shui practitioners and enthusiasts regularly refer to as the Bagua map. This map is divided into nine life regions - Career being one of the nine.

The Bagua map is a tool that identifies specific life regions for you to pay attention to, and gives general suggestions on what you can do to improve each region...(as it relates to your quality of life), in a Feng Shui manner of speaking.

What does Feng Shui suggest then, as far as cures or solutions that you can apply in your life right now that will facilitate your career success? Let's identify four powerful ones:

1. Position your desk so that you can see the door or entrance to your office clearly. Subconsciously, you are more vulnerable if you cannot see the door or entrance to your office. This has to do with taking what is known in Feng Shui as the commanding spot or position in the room. You will experience more power and success by making this simple adjustment.
2. Place your desk away from the door, if possible. Although you still want to see the door, having your desk as far away as possible is going to help raise the energy power quotient of your office, which directly impacts your career success. If you must choose between being able to see the door and being in closer proximity, choose the placement where you are able to see the door.
3. Position yourself with your back against a wall, but with a space cushion. Having your back to a solid wall behind, with a few feet of space cushion creates feelings of stability and strength. The Chinese believe having a house location with a mountain in the back is one of the best possible locations. It is a position of strength, as your enemies cannot easily sneak up on you from behind. If you have a window behind you, one thing to consider is installing curtains or other decorative coverings.
4. Position yourself for success with a high quality office chair. Many of us spend numerous hours a day at our desks. Make sure the chair you sit upon is giving you the healthy and solid support that you need to work in comfort and for greater success. Be sure to test drive several chairs prior to purchasing and look for ones that have good back support and have multiple adjustment points.

Thank you for exploring these Feng Shui cures with me, and I wish you the best for your long lasting career success!

Feng Shui Meaning - Teachings and Consciousness For Overcoming Obstacles in Life

Feng Shui teachings have gained in popularity in recent years in the West and for good reason! These teachings offer you a unique way of seeing and responding to your immediate environment in a profound, life changing way. Feng Shui also helps you assess problems within your immediate living spaces...things that are keeping you locked in place and preventing you from achieving your dreams and goals.

Most people are unaware that problems occurring in the most important areas of their lives...love life, income generation, career advancement, etc. can often be solved or greatly alleviated by making simple adjustments to the living spaces they inhabit the most, coupled with the right mindset. These spaces include your home, your office, your property, your garden and even your desktop!

Let's discover Feng Shui meaning and define these two words in a profound but useful way. "Feng" means "wind" in English. Wind is an unseen force within our natural world. There is a fascinating analogy between the wind as we know it, as it exists in our physical world, and the "inner" winds of your spirit...those winds that comprise your innermost dreams and desires.

Feng Shui strives to bolster the moving Chi, the "winds of opportunity" that exist in your environment and turn them toward you. This is accomplished when you develop a Feng Shui mindset, when you arrive to a place where you're finally setting your spirit free to ride upon the wind...where you are thinking and living Feng Shui principles and experiencing the blessings firsthand.

You create your own "winds of change" for the better as a result, because you are not only making outward changes to your immediate physical world, you are aligning your inner world through the power of your intention and visualization as you make these outward changes. Simply put, there's more to this than rearranging the furniture!

The word "shui" in English means water but unlike wind, water is one of the Five primary elements used extensively in Feng Shui practice. As wind is representative of the intangible thought and dream world, water is representative of the physical world that surrounds you, including your immediate surroundings.

Feng and Shui Cannot Be Separated

Just as wind and water are joined in nature and unable to separate, so are we when it comes to our spirit selves and physical selves. As we live in our physical bodies, we cannot separate from our dreams and desires, nor would we want to!

Feng Shui recognizes this interconnectedness between the two realms and exists as a practical and effective way to bring balance and harmony to both...to simply and elegantly join both together. If there is a conflict or if something is out of place in your immediate surroundings, this imbalance or conflict can directly affect your inner balance and peace. It can keep you stuck and blocked, unable to progress the way you'd like to.

Whether you realize it or not, these blocks can keep you from getting the promotion you've worked hard to achieve, keep you from the joy of relationship...keep you stuck, unproductive and unhappy.

The Beauty of Feng Shui

The goal you seek with Feng Shui is to become more educated, conscious and proactive so that you can experience more joy and live your best life. It is a process that involves becoming crystal clear about what you truly want in life, and then taking the appropriate actions within your environment that support those dreams and goals which bring desired results and lasting changes.

This is the true meaning of Feng Shui;this is the exquisite beauty of Feng Shui because there are real solutions to be found in the practical application. It all begins with an open mind, and a willingness to come to a deeper understanding between yourself and the potential that awaits in your immediate environment.

The beauty is, you have choices...once you have the Feng Shui knowledge that will help you shift the energy flows of "wind and water" in your favor

Feng Shui Basics - Two Core Concepts One Must Fully Understand

A clear understanding of Feng Shui basics will help you benefit greatly as you expand and enhance your life using this marvelous and ancient art that helps you create beautiful and effective living spaces. This article is designed to give you a solid understanding of two important concepts that compose the heart of Feng Shui. There are more, but these are a good beginning.

The first concept to clearly understand is the definition of Chi, sometimes spelled Ch'i or qi. Think of Chi in a broad sense, as the vital life force or energy that moves in and through all things. Chi can be thought of as the energy contained within your body (human), as well as the energy flowing throughout your immediate environment (earth) and the universe at large (heaven). This may not be the purest definition, as the word "Chi" has not been successfully translated into other languages, but it is one that has gained in popularity and acceptance in recent years, especially in the West.

In Chinese medicine if an imbalance occurs in one's body, Chi is blocked and unable to move without restriction, as it would in a healthy person. When this happens, it is likely that an illness is developing in the person or there may be other manifestations such as chronic fatigue, headache or other weakened condition.

The ideal state is a healthy flow of Chi, both within a person and throughout one's immediate environment.

Feng Shui strives for balance and harmony, and is often referred to as the art of harmonious design. When practiced, Feng Shui principles diligently promote and enhance the flow of Chi, which is necessary for vital and healthy environments.

The second concept to gain an understanding of is yin and yang. Chi and all that exists have yin and yang qualities. In Chinese thought, there is nothing that exists that does not have a portion of yin energy, or a portion of yang energy, as the famous Tai Chi symbol so clearly illustrates. Feng Shui strives to create a balance of yin and yang energies in living environments.

Feng Shui recognizes and honors the yin and yang present in all things. Yin and yang can be thought of as breathing. You must breathe in, in order to breathe out. They are the necessary opposites of life, and yet they are not opposing forces, rather they complement and complete one another in every way. Male is yang...female is yin. Light is yang...dark is yin. Yang is warmth and heat...yin is cool and coldness. Even the seasons of the year embody different qualities of yin and yang, in different measure.

In the minds of the ancients, there was little if any separation between the categories of human, earth and heaven, as yin and yang qualities and energies flow continuously in and through all three realms.

Over centuries of study and observation, the essential thought of Feng Shui was formed - a practice born to improve the conditions and quality of life by recognizing the qualities of these energies and how to work with them for desired results. Results such as better health, improving wealth flows, strengthening family ties and building a solid reputation and career.

For example, if your bedroom is overly bright or decorated predominantly with yang objects and colors you may find it hard to get the rest you need. Perhaps the living room where you entertain guests is filled with too much yin influence. If this is the case, your parties may not be as lively as you'd like them to be! This is where a working knowledge of Feng Shui can help remedy imbalances of yin and yang in immediate living spaces.

I look forward to sharing more Feng Shui basics information with you in future articles. I hope you have a clearer understanding of Feng Shui, and will continue to pursue information on the subject and put it into practice in your own life.

4 Simple Feng Shui Tips For Great Love Life and Deeper Romance

The following four simple Feng Shui tips are most important to consider when looking to greatly improve your love life and create deeper feelings of romance between yourself and your partner or help attract a new love. Taking action today on even one or two of these tips could help you begin to experience the love life improvements you seek!

#1 - Make sure your bedroom is a bedroom. This may appear to be a strange statement, but if you think about the reality of today's world, it is not. It is common practice for bedrooms to be converted to work out areas, home office spaces and entertainment centers. It is important, if you wish the energy of love to grow, to create a beautiful bedroom where love's energy can blossom without conflicting energies residing in the same space. If possible, relocate computers and electronic equipment to other rooms.

#2 - Enhance your bedroom for love. Certain colors, shapes and art forms work in your favor when it comes to attracting and creating romance. Tastefully incorporate red tones, pinks or triangle shapes which embody and represent the Fire element. The Fire element in Feng Shui is the element that ignites passion...there can be no passion without Fire! The addition of volcano or pyramid shaped lamps or candles to your bedroom will help warm the area and nurture those special feelings. Consider bed sheets and comforters colored red or pink or have touches of those colors present.

#3 - Place a new tree or plant in your romance region. As you face the front door of your home or apartment, the place where you'll want to focus on is the back right corner for this simple Feng Shui tip. If your property has a backyard, by all means plant a nice young tree in the back right corner. If you don't have a yard, placing a healthy vibrant plant in this region of your living space will help bring new life to your current romance or help bring a new romance to your life. Be sure to take great care of this new addition to your family...nurture and love it well.

#4 - Check your bedroom, closets and other living spaces for "past hurts". You may not realize it, but if you happen to have mementos and objects from past relationships that ended on a sour note, these things could be blocking the potential of your current relationship or hindering a new relationship from developing.

This is powerful - do not underestimate the energies contained within photos or keepsakes from the past. Sometimes even furniture purchased with a past partner that is still lingering about can cause problems. Begin by checking in your bedroom for these sorts of objects, and as you have time, continue on to other areas. Releasing these items to the universe is a great way of freeing yourself up to be more in the present with your current partner, or powerfully invite the one waiting for you just around the corner!

Here's one simple Feng Shui bonus tip in closing. As you're implementing these tips for greater love and romance, visualize the increase of loving feelings in your life between you and your partner. If feasible, involve your partner in the Feng Shui process.

If you're energetically inviting a new partner to you, make sure to create some extra space for a new love in your bedroom. Keep your mind open and expect wonderful shifts to take place for love and romance very soon!

Feng Shui Colors - The Power of Feng Shui Colors

Feng Shui helps you create a simple balanced living environment. Learning how to properly organize what surrounds you can improve your living and that is what Feng Shui is about. And according to this ancient art, one factor that makes lots of influence in your daily behavior is the color around you.

According to feng shui colors specifications, colors should not be used randomly but corresponding to what they represent. Basically, this colors are based on the five elements, water, fire, wood, earth and metal.

Colors can affect us on many levels. It affects your mood, your energy and your desires throughout the day. Notice that if you paint an entire room, changing it from a boring plain white to a beautiful shade of green. The difference on the energy in that room will be easy to feel. The room itself gives off a changed feeling or ambiance. You'll possibly begin to feeling more stimulating and energizing. This is called a Feng Shui colors enhancement.

The use of colors as described, is a simple and functional way to adjust the feeling of your living space. You actually don't need to go as far as painting an entire room to feel the transformation in your life. You can paint just one wall with a new color to begin feeling the difference. Use pieces or accessories to incorporate a color or colors into your home. Understanding the proper use of this method, you will be able to select the greatest colors to create harmony in any room or living space, this knowledge also can be used with anything that involves colors.

According to feng shui colors specifications, colors must not be used randomly but according to what they symbolize and associates to. The proper application of feng shui colors to both feng shui and interior design is an important knowledge if you intend to benefit from it in your home and also in your life.

This may be considered a complex method, and isn't something you learn to do overnight. But definitely you do not have to be an expert to begin implementing the basics of this art in your own home. All you need to do is learn the basics and follow your instincts, having a good aesthetic eye helps too. You can simply look at a color or design piece and judge based on what you know and what you feel. Even simple color alterations can make your life much better.

Decorate You Home With Indoor House Plants

Bring a little of the outdoors inside by using indoor house plants to liven things up a bit. There are many choices available, some of which will do better than others depending on what kind of environment they're placed in. For example, will your plants be in an area with lots of windows where they can get plenty of bright sunshine or in a darker area of the home. This will determine which plants would suit your home the best.

When you begin your search for indoor house plants, you'll discover a wide variety of options ranging from the hanging plants to small trees. A few of your options are listed below to help you get an idea of which plants tend to flourish the best inside the home.

Types of indoor house plants:

• Herbs
• Angel Ivy
• Ficus Tree
• Palm Tree
• Bonsai Tree
• Bamboo Tree
• Poinsettias
• Ferns
• Rubber plant

These are just a few of your options. You'll find many more indoor plants to choose from once you start researching the different types of plants.

Before deciding on which plants to buy, it would be best to do a little research on the different types available to find the ones that will suit your home the best. You'll need to have an idea of where they'll be located in your home before you know what to look for so, take a few minutes to determine where you would like to have them placed.

Adding greenery to your home is a great way to enhance your décor and turn a lifeless room into a lively exciting atmosphere. It creates an inviting environment that seems to say welcome. They make great conversational pieces and they even help to improve the air quality in your home. Many plants are easy to care for so you don't need to worry about having the time to take care of them properly. As you can see, there are many reasons to decorate with indoor plants and a wide selection of them to choose from.

Where to Buy Wholesale Discount Glade Candles

Where to buy wholesale discount Glade candles? There are so many wholesales stores that you can buy them. When you buy in bulk, you will get big discounts that will give you deep savings. If you are looking for ways on how to do this, let me tell you now that there are so many ways to do that. Just remember the wholesale stores and the online stores.

Check out wholesale supermarkets such as Costco, Sam's Club, Makro and Price Club. They offer Glade candles in bulk that will give you at most $7 per packages of 50. If you are selling the Glade candles in your own shop or if you're stocking for a whole month or whole year of candles for your home, these are your top choices. Although you have to drive to your nearest supermarket, the cheap prices that they will give will compensate for the gas that you spent for the trip.

If you don't want to brave the traffic or if the supermarkets are too far away, you can go online and search for wholesale Glade candles. Although it can be hard to search for sites where you can buy them for a discounted price, there are still remaining sites wherein you can buy them for much much less. All you have to do to find these sites is to use your most trusted search engine and enter "buy wholesale discount glade candles". You will find lots of sites that will give you the opportunity to buy cheap Glade candles.

My advice is just to make sure that the sites are trusted and that they have secure payment system. Some most popular sites are eBay and Amazon. There is another site that I always use that give me discounts on bulk orders or candles. The discounts that I have received from it now add up to hundred of dollars.

Photos on Canvas Are Easy to Find on the Web, Just Be Sure to Do Some Research Before You Buy Things

Making your home a stylish and comfortable place to be is something that a lot of people try and do. Photos on canvas are a great way to ensure that your home is stylish and trendy. You can find a good range of options on the internet but in order to get a good deal, you'll need to do some research before you buy.

Shopping for home items on the web is really easy but in order to save yourself money, it's a good idea to do some research. This should ensure that when you come to buying something, you can spot the good deals and save yourself money. Start by using Google to find the online stores that stock what you need.

You should have a pen and paper with you so that you can make notes as you browse the web. You should also try and use the bookmark feature in your web browser as this will allow you to come back to web pages that you have saved. This is the best way to make sure that you can get a good deal.

Buying online is something a lot of people do and if you're looking for home items then you're in luck. There are plenty of online stores that sell photos on canvas and various other canvas prints so you should have no problems finding items that are interesting and suitable for your needs.

While you're browsing the web, you should remember that you're looking for good value for money. So you don't always want to opt for the cheapest item because this could mean poor quality and you don't want that. The great thing about wall art is that it's suitable for almost any home so you don't need to worry about whether it'll look right or not.

Overall, buying photos on canvas is easy when you shop online, just remember to do some research before you make any purchases. Don't be tempted to buy the first thing you see because this can result in you not being happy with your purchase - and that's never a good thing.

Bamboo Sheet Secrets That Cotton Manufacturers Aren't Telling You

Bamboo sheets are not your normal 800 thread count bed sheets. Bamboo sheets are not only comfortable but they're designed to be the most luxurious sheets for your bed as well as your guest bedroom. Bamboo sheets have a large amount of natural antibacterial resistance. In addition to the antibacterial qualities, they are also very antifungal. This antifungal property is a natural way for the bamboo forest to protect itself from bugs and other vermin that would consume the plants before they reached maturity.

In recent testing by the China Industrial Testing Center, it was discovered that bamboo sheets kill 98.8% of bacteria after 24 hours. These strange-but-true sheets are not only antibacterial and antifungal, they're also renewable. Since they're made from a 100% renewable resource, bamboo, you're using an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cotton, nylon and rayon sheets. In addition the antifungal and antibacterial qualities and since bamboo is a natural repellent of pests and bugs, no pesticides are needed in the growth or cultivation of bamboo plants. This keeps them as natural and safe as possible.

People who sleep on bamboo sheets compare them to silk, but always not that the bamboo sheets are not as slippery as the silk sheets, but just as soft. Bamboo is a unique insulator as well. In the winter, they will insulate and keep you warm, and in the summer time they draw heat away from your body and keep you cool. Bamboo bed sheets are available in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses. You will definitely be able to find any combination of color, bed size and thickness. If you're like me, you like a light color bed sheet that is very thin. Bamboo is as thin as silk without the slipperiness of those silk bed sheets.

After reading the benefits of bamboo bedsheets, most people ask one question, "How much do they cost?", and they expect bamboo sheets to be 4 to 5 times more expensive that regular cotton sheets. After looking at the actual price of bamboo and cotton, you'll find they're very close to the same. I did a price search for 600 thread count Queen cotton sheets and 600 thread count Queen bamboo sheets. The cotton ranged from $39-99 for a queen set of sheets including two pillow cases. The bamboo sheets ranged from $79-109 for the exact same setup including two pillow cases. If you generally buy the cheapest bedding you can find, the cotton is still going to be cheaper. If, however, you generally buy in the middle of the road, or towards the top end of sheets, bamboo will be almost the same in price when compared to cotton.

A single problem I've found is that bamboo sheets are hard to find in stores. I've looked at large retailers like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, and Costco. None of them had any bamboo bed sheets in stock, but you can always find them online. After looking at enough reviews at different retailers, I knew that bamboo sheets were for me. Without discussing it with my wife, I ordered a set for us. When they came in, I put them on the bed and didn't tell her. That night she laid down in the bed and said, "Something is wrong with our sheets!" I said, "What's wrong?" My wife said, "These aren't the same sheets I slept on last night, they're softer and more comfortable!" If that's not enough proof, give it your own test and see if your significant other can tell the difference!

Some Ideas For a Superhero Boy's Bedroom

Is your little boy crazy about superheroes? Then why not decorate their bedroom and turn into his favorite superhero. There are lots of ways that you can make a little boy's bedroom be a cool place for him to sleep in. The superhero themed room is a perfect solution for any young boy. The most popular superheroes are usually Spiderman, Superman, the Hulk or Batman allow for greater choices of themed items.

First of all, determine which superhero theme your child wants for his bedroom. There is a large selection of wallpaper that can be found in many stores, which allows for all kinds of wall designs. There is Superman, Batman, the Hulk or Spiderman wall paper with plenty of choice. If you do not want to use wallpaper, then why not use a border. Borders can be used around the wall. It will dress up a boy's bedroom with their favourite hero printed on the border. If the walls are painted, then posters of their favorite superhero can be found and put up. Putting up a few posters around the room will enhance the superhero theme more. A different picture on the poster of the superhero would be perfect.

For the floor, sometimes superhero carpet and rugs can be found. If the floor is already the color scheme you need and you do not want to change it, then using area rugs can be another good way of decorating the room into a superhero room. There are all kinds of superhero themed rugs that can be found. If superman is the theme bedroom chosen, then why not place a couple of red rugs around the room. Perhaps, a red rug on either side of his bed for instance. Area rugs are an excellent choice for any bedroom.

For the windows, themed curtains can be bought. You can, also, have colour schemed curtains to go with the superhero chosen. For instance, superman's suit is red and blue so either of these colors would match the rest of the room.

For the bed covers, themed duvet covers can be found along with sheets and pillow cases.

There are also lamp shades in superhero themes that can be purchased. Buy a matching lampshade with a rug, bedcovers and curtains. Transfer stickers can be found with superheroes on them. This will enhance the room further with the child's favorite superhero and when it is time for another room change all you have to do scrub them off the furniture so you can keep it.

Use accessories to brighten the superhero look. Superhero bean bags, dustbins, lamps and some figurine toys can be put around the room. Area rugs can be placed under a bean bag. For instance, a bright red rug can be placed in a corner with some superhero toys on it. It can be either a circular rug or an oblong rug.

If you are artistic, then why not paint the wall with your child's favorite superhero theme. Perhaps, start with the setting of the superhero's home base or just simply draw the character.

All these ideas make a fantastic superhero bedroom for any little boy.

5 Baby Nursery Decor Ideas

With the incredible variety of nursery decoration choices available, it can be hard to make a final decision on your baby nursery decor. The most effective way to "shorten the list" of baby nursery decoration options is to consider your own style preferences and personal interests. Think about the things which were fun and memorable for you while you where growing up, or maybe look to the styles of today for something new and inspiring. However, before making any decisions, always remember that your baby nursery decor has to be enjoyable and functional for the baby and the parents too.

The goal with any baby nursery decor is to create a special place for you and your baby since you will be spending the most time here and much of the bonding will occur in the baby's room. So the nursery decoration style you select should have an inviting and pleasant feel to it. To assist you with making your baby nursery decoration choices, here are five points to stimulate your ongoing creativity.

1. Start with the crib. Since this is the focal point in the room, select your crib design first and then the style of the room will be defined for you. Whether you select a modern, classic, Victorian, or whimsical crib style, the design will establish the rest of your baby nursery decor. A changing table, dresser and other furniture pieces should be selected to match the style.

2. Add color. The color scheme of the room should reflect the style of your furniture. But to stimulate your baby's eyes and brain, incorporate bold colors and patterns into your nursery decoration. Utilize the primary colors, as well as shades of them for a complementing and contrasting color scheme. Add a colorful design to the ceiling as well for an interesting look.

3. Include some character. Adding colorful characters bring a baby nursery decor to life. You can either use a stencil to paint in themed or storybook characters, affix a decal or mural to the wall, or hang a poster or wall hanging. Some popular characters are from nursery rhymes, books, or television shows. Among them are classics like Raggedy Ann and Andy, Noah's Ark and Mother Goose.

4. Accessorize. Accessories are where you can really emphasize your baby nursery decoration look. For easy care, choose accessories that are washable, unbreakable and baby proof. There are numerous unique designs for nursery decoration pieces like photo frames, decorative baskets, shelving and toy boxes.

5. Incorporate the essentials. You will find that your baby nursery decoration items will change as your baby progresses from infancy to early school age. During the newborn stages, the room should include essential furnishings for the parents, such as a glider, ottoman, or rocking chair, which are ideal comfort items for feeding and rocking. As the baby grows older, you can remove these furnishings and replace them with age appropriate essentials.

As you set up your nursery, you're establishing an area for attentive nurturing and growth. The special touches you add foster an environment where your baby will encounter new and magical things that excite the senses and create a happy and secure child.

How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

One question repetitively heard by interior design professionals is how to make a small room look bigger. At any rate of home interior design - whether contemporary or country, most homeowners go along with; more space would be great. A small space can be challenging when it comes to decorating your home. You desire to make the most out of your small space. Regardless of house size or layout, one or more rooms are frequently on the small side. A small space can be a fine project to find out what style of decorating you can do with this size of space. It takes inventiveness and forethought to come up including an effective space saving room design devoid of compromising on home decor. There are ways that you can style the most out of your small space.

Clear Up the Clutter to Make the Room Bigger

The primarily thing is to make your room look enhanced and bigger then it actually is. Clear up the clutter - The most efficient method of cleaning is to first cleanse the entire house of every damaged or slightly misused toys. Whichever household items that have not been worn in a year or more ought to be recycled or discarded. Magazines, newspapers and old books must be properly disposed of. Just getting rid of all the clutter in your house will change its' look drastically. Too much objects always makes a small room feel cramped. With things neatly set and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open.

Furniture and Curtain Arrangement

Another alternative ways to make a house look bigger is having less furniture and decorations in each room. Furniture poses yet an added challenge. Overloading a room with furniture exceptionally when your space is limited can just make it appear even smaller. Break up your furniture into small and intimate groupings to having one larger conversation area. Position the larger pieces of furniture at the wall's angle in corner. This will open up particular wall space and make the room look bigger. Moved away your furniture from the walls and it will make your furniture more attractive.

Keep an eye on how much furniture you place in your small space. Keep in mind, you want to avoid a cluttered look. Use the least amount of furniture that you can, and make sure the furniture you choose is functional, not just pretty. Together with furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room will appear smaller. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open up the room and make it feel larger, particularly if you can notice the floor. Only put furniture back into your room that you will use and therefore limit yourself to just a few pieces. A small room should always have shelves built in to the walls. Your room is small also you do not want to add much furniture in your room. Built in wall shelves can improve depth to your room and make your area look even larger.

When you hang curtains up, hang them up closer to the ceiling overtop of the window and spread out and hang your curtain rod over every side of the window to make your window seem larger. Let your curtains fall on each side of the window exposing the entire window in the center. This will fool the eye and make it appear like your window is tall and large. Making your small area seem larger. Don't put ornamental pieces in the way of visitors. Shift them to roomy areas. As soon as they are out of the way, passages will be enhanced together with the effect that the room becomes bigger. Buy home decor items that are tall instead of broad. Broad furnishings take up more space and will make the room look small.

Create an Infinity Effect

One of the preeminent, slightest expensive ways to adorn small rooms and create the illusion of more space is with the use of a mirror. Adding mirrors will make your small space seem bigger giving it reflections and making it look as if like it is bigger then it really is. Try to arrange the mirror side by side, floor to ceiling or facing each other on opposite walls to create an infinity effect. Consist of few sources of lighting in all room with light coming from different heights and directions. If workable, add ample mirrors in your bathroom as well. The reflection of the room in the mirror can fake the eye into idea like there's more of the space.

Choosing Color

Color is important for any room, but especially for small rooms. The color of your room can additionally make your area look bigger. White or neutral colors can brighten up your room making it appear to be bigger. Paint can open up your small space and grant it a friendly and alluring look. Neutral, light shades and bright colors perform best; stay away from dark colors. Dark colors in a room can get your room in making it look smaller. Stay away from patterned wallpaper, which has the leaning to overpower small spaces.

Let There be Light!

The room have to be properly lit to open up the space either by natural or artificial lighting. You can add a few lightning features to the room if you do not have a lot of natural light. Try replacing floor lamps and table with wall fixtures. If you cannot switch these stuff, look for ones that are space friendly and buy a small shades or no shades at all. If you have way in to natural light, make full use of it. Bring it into your home through windows. Pull back window coverings or use sheer ones to bring more light in. Open up the windows to let the light of the outdoors into the area, as well. By letting the natural light flow into the room, it will open up the room and make it appear larger. Lighting is a key element in opening up a space.

Conclusion

When selling a house there is one thing you can do to make the house easier to sell. This thing is make the house look larger and attempt to get as much light into the room as you possible can. Majority of people won't buy a house if it looks very small. Together with the information in this article you should be on your way to a bigger looking room in no time.

Small Bedroom Interior Design

Your bedroom is the only arena in your home that helps you relax and transcend into a peaceful state, after a stressful and hectic day in your office. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that each decorative, movable or immovable, contributes towards relieving you from your stress and tensions.

Your room ought to be clean and streamlined for an inviting and calm look. Below are some small bedroom interior design ideas to incorporate while planning to renovate your bedroom.

Choose the right hues: The colors and hues in your bedroom can render a vivid or a dull appeal to your room. Therefore, be very careful while selecting the right shade for your bedroom. Nowadays, muted / natural colors like beige, grey, and taupe are popularly picked by people planning their small bedroom interior design for a more subtle look. You can also opt from colors like brown, mauve's at all for a more composed appeal.

Be selective with your furniture: A room populated with large and too much of furniture crowds the room. For your small bedroom interior design, look for petite and small pieces of furniture that gives a spacious look to your room. Do away with large and garish wardrobes in wood along with huge dressing table and king sized bed. Instead look for bed pieces in queen sizes that have no headboard. Make an intelligent use of modular furniture to make the best use of the little space available.

The aesthetic touch: In your attempt to avoid clutters in your small bedroom, do not forget to add essentials that may enhance the appeal of your room. The secret to a successful small bedroom interior design lies in accessorizing your room to give it a modern appeal.

Funky lamp shades, mirrors, beautiful carved glass pieces make for a great interior decor. Jazzy wall art, like painting a unique canvas on the wall with one color at all, instills life in your other wise dull looking room. The key lies in striking the right cord between funky accessories and a simple design to give it the right aesthetic touch.

Canopy Beds and Canopy Bedding

When you were a young girl, and spent hours watching TV, one of the most elegant things you saw in the movies was that beautiful, fairy tale canopy bed. When the princess woke up and stretched her arms wide in that pretty bed how many of us imagined ourselves in and amongst that plush bedding?

The canopy bed dates back to Medieval times and was used to protect it's sleepers from the poorly made ceilings and insects. How ironic that it got it's start in the pauper's home first. Ceilings were often made of thatch which could easily come undone or break free, so keeping the plaster from dropping on your head became somewhat of a priority.

Around the 16th century, this four poster canopy bed became a favorite of the upper classes. Thick curtains were added to the railings to keep in warmth and provide privacy. Before modern heating systems were established, people would dress and bathe in or near their beds to keep warm on cold winter days.

Original canopy beds were crafted of wood with carvings were introduced later to add some nice ornate intricacies. Today the beds and bedding are made from several different materials. Now the beds are a fashion statement. Canopy beds come in all shapes and sizes and aren't just for girls.

Wrought iron is one of the more popular materials being used. Thanks in part to its cool touch, as well as it's light and airy appearance. The iron frame also lends itself itself to the drapery you can hang.

So now comes the choosing of the drapes. Fabric can be bought in any color or pattern to enhance your sleeping experience. Colors are much more vibrant these days ranging in deep reds to electric blues and purples. Typically lighter, sheer fabrics are most popular. Lace is also recommended for a more girly look. These materials can provide that special feeling of wealth or romance. Wrap your fabrics in a way to create loops. Criss-cross styling is also creates a beautiful textured look.

Less expensive canopies can be purchased and hung from the ceiling and then draped over the bed if you prefer. Finally canopy beds come in twin, full, king, and queen sizes. They also come with some daybeds and cribs as well. So be careful when choosing your bedding that you buy the right sizes.

Cool Apartment Ideas - Small is Beautiful

Years ago, the idea of having a nice pad meant having a large one, but times have changed and we have entered the era of the small, cool apartment. This is especially true for bachelors and those who have day jobs that are situated far away from the family home.

Why is small beautiful? For those who lead busy lives (and who doesn't nowadays?), small apartments mean easier and less time-consuming cleaning and maintenance. The rents are usually lower, it's much easier and cheaper to decorate it exactly to your tastes, renovations are less of a pain, and it's better for the environment. You need fewer lights, less power for cooling or heating, less water to use for cleaning, and therefore you positively domino into a smaller and smaller carbon footprint lifestyle.

Small doesn't necessarily mean spartan though, and today's compact and cool apartment can be just as comfy, and with just a little effort you'll come home with a smile on your face every time!

Step one, and this is a biggie, is something of a personality tweak for the better. In fact many personality improvement courses start with this golden piece of advice, namely: Get Rid Of The Junk. It's almost zen-like in its simplicity, but the effect, if you even try to achieve it, is life-changing. Do you really need all that stuff? Really, think about it. Most of the things we cling on to is exactly that: junk. Of course what we really want out of these things are the memories they hold, but even that can be done better with a journal. Get a nice notebook and a pen and start writing your memories down, or start a blog. Take every piece of junk (or memory-thing) that you own, write about it, and then toss it or sell it. Your life's baggage will be so much lighter, you'll have a journal to be proud of, and your apartment will have all that extra space.

Next, focus on small furniture. If you're still in the process of completing your necessary pieces, think simple, small, light. Stacking chairs, a folding extra table, even a bed that folds into a sofa is good, does double duty, and saves space. If you want pizazz, go for color, not sprawl. As with anything, be deliberate about each item you plan to bring into your space. There's really no hurry so try not to buy on impulse - not only will this get you furniture that fits and which you like, but you'll save money as well and be well on your way to being "junk-free."

Finally, think about all that free space on the wall. Plants (especially good for those living alone and who can't have pets), for example, don't have to be in a vase on the table or a pot on the floor. There are many inexpensive wall-mounted flower vases at any department store or specialist shop, or hanging pots you mount on the corner ceiling.

Yes, it may take some imagination to turn that box you rented into a really cool apartment, but the payback in terms of fulfillment and creating a cozy little home for yourself is priceless.

How to Find the Best Curtain Ideas With Pictures to Help You Decide

Are you looking for some inspiration for choosing your next window treatment project. That's a common problem many people have. "I will know it when I see it" or "that's the style I want just in a different color". So why worry about it, well the answer is simply cost. If you get it wrong you will have to live with it for quite a while because it will cost too much to simply change straight away. So how do you choose the right one for your window and avoid costly mistakes.

How to find the best window treatment ideas

Well your in the right place now, the Internet is really awesome for getting ideas. So do a google search for these terms below and get a mountain of curtain ideas with pictures. These searches will give you lots of info and pictures to look over. Just book mark the pages that appeal the most to you and ignore the rest.

My Top 10 Search Terms for finding great curtain ideas:

1. Curtain ideas

2. Curtain ideas with pictures

3. Bay window treatments

4. Window treatment help

5. Curtain styles

6. Pelmet ideas

7. Top treatment ideas

8. Scarf swag ideas

9. Window dressing ideas

10. Curtain ideas gallery

Ending up with the best curtain idea for you

You need to be tough with yourself now. you should have a lot of pages bookmarked now. So it's time to start whittling them down. You need to be honest with yourself is that beautiful window treatment going to really fit in that room with the decor and furniture you have. Usually not it will either be way over the top or so understated it will just get lost in the room.

Setting some realistic criteria

1. Is the style in keeping with the room.

2. Is it going to be practical to fit on your window given its location and shape.

3. Is it to just dress the window or will it have to work.

4. Is it the latest window fashion and will it stand the test of time.

5. Is it something you can fit yourself or will you need professional help.

Ending up with with a window treatment that looks great and really works

So if you have followed the guidelines above you should have only 2 or 3 curtain ideas left to play with. If you really can't make the choice. Then get someone over to give you their opinion. The only thing left to do now you have got down to the final curtain style is choose the fabric and get them made.

Sorry even more choices to make it seems to be endless doesn't it.

Decorating Your Teenage Girl's Bedroom

A teenage girl's bedroom is her castle. So taking the time to sit with her and discuss a plan to come up with the perfect bedroom theme. The first thing you need to do is to measure the width, length and height of the room. Then decide which furniture you want to keep and which you want to replace. Then next thing you want to do is to spend a Saturday afternoon cleaning out the entire bedroom. Donate stuff she no longer wants and throw away stuff that isn't any good. Or you can have a garage sale.

Now it's time to go shopping for furniture. The first piece of furniture you want to pick out is the bed. If you cannot afford to purchase a new bed, try repainting the old bed and add stenciling to the headboard. You can add a white or pink canopy if you want. Next you want to add a chair in the bedroom for her friends to sit. A small loveseat or some bean bag chairs will suffice.

Deciding on a theme is an important part in decorating your teen girl's bedroom. A theme could be based on several things such as her favorite hobby, musical artist, sports or animals. Or she could go for a more basic look like retro or Victorian.

When deciding on where the furniture will be placed in the room, make sure that the room size fits the furniture. For example, you don't want a king size bed in a small room. Your daughter will also need space for homework and putting on her makeup. Another thing that will save space is using organizers. Closet organizers, under the bed organizers and 5-drawer organizers will all save space and keep things organized.

Painting walls is a big project. You need to make sure that you cover the flooring and furniture before starting the painting. You want to choose colors that match the theme you have going on, if any.

Accessories are also important in decorating the bedroom. A wall shelf makes a great place she can display photos of her friends and family. Also a book shelf works great for all her romance books. Adding a lamp to a nightstand is a special touch. You may also want to add a lamp to her desk so she has proper lighting to do her homework. Other nice accessories include a vase filled with fresh flowers, a large bulletin board attached to the wall to attach notes or a calendar, a stand up mirror and some special touches such as fancy light switches or funky drawer pulls.

Using any or all of these special touches will make any teenage girl's room special

Teen Bedroom Themes

Black and White Theme- Many teens hate the drab white walls in their room so they opt to paint one wall black and there others remain white. The great thing about a black wall is that it will bring attention to posters as well as other artwork. Where the other walls are white, it does not make the room look totally pitch black.

Girly Pink Theme- Girls love pink. When painting a girls room, try using pale pink with white for a softer look instead of a bright pink. If you want more color, try adding green or blue for more contrast.

Boys Navy and Khaki Theme- These are two popular colors with teen boys.

Girls Patterned Theme- Patterns that work well in a girl's room are polka dots, bubble dots, flowers, hearts and diamonds. These can be worked into the room nicely through artwork, bedding or wallpaper.

Boys Patterned Theme- Patterns that work well in a boy's room are stripes, camouflage, sports logo, plaid or checkered patterns. You can use bedding and area rugs to complete the look.

Glam Girls Theme- Teen girls love the glitz and glamour of Hollywood so why not create a bedroom theme that fits their personality. Use one wall in the room and cut of photos of favorite musicians and actors. Add a fancy chandelier, gold framed mirror and hang silk from the ceilings.

Favorite Artist Theme- This is a suitable room for tween girls. The most popular artists are Hannah Montana and The Jonas Brothers. Hang pictures of the favorite artist along with wall decorations. Just make sure that nothing is permanent since taste in artist will change down the road.

Sporty Guys Theme- With teen guys, they are more likely to follow the NBA or NFL than the Jonas Brothers. Decorate with team colors and add special touches such as bedding and curtains in either the team logo or team colors. You can also add posters, banners and other sports memorabilia.

Extreme Sports Theme- Extreme sports are things like motocross, surfing and skateboarding. A great color scheme for extreme sports is green and black. Add a skateboard or surf board to the wall to complete the look.

These are some fun ways to decorate a teen bedroom.

Teens Bedroom Interior Design Ideas - Three Design Tips For Small Rooms

Is your teens bedroom located in a small room and you could use some help with interior design ideas? First, and most importantly, teens like to spend time in their own rooms, and if the space is small, you'll benefit from knowing a few decorating methods that will make your teen appreciative of their special place.

Tip #1: Eliminate the clutter to make the room appear bigger.

When a small room has large pieces of furniture that are juxtaposition with not even one inch of extra space, your teen will feel uncomfortable and cramped in the room. When a room is small and there is no design for storage, then clothes, books, papers, and things of all kinds tend to get piled up on top of each other; clutter is the result.

Tip #2: Choose wall colors that will make the room feel more spacious.

To create the illusion of more space, you don't have to use light-colored paint or wallpaper. You can use monochromatic decorating schemes, or various hues of one color family. Or, you can paint one wall blue and another wall green, which will create an equal intensity of calmness. Likewise, if you decorate with light-colored furniture and accessories, the space will feel bigger.

If using color seems scary to you, then here are a few design hints. When you paint two of the walls a light color and two of the walls a deep color, the deep-colored walls will look as if they're farther away than the light walls.

Paint that has a blue-gray color to it will make the room look as if the walls are receding; thus giving the impression that the room is larger than it really is.

The cool colors of purple, blue and green will also make a small room appear larger.

Tip #3: Consider using the principles of Feng Shui to decorate your teen's room.

Simply stated, Feng Shui is a method of placing furniture in such a way that it allows the chi (energy) to easily flow throughout the room. For example, a bed would be situated away from the door to give the room a bigger appearance.

There are many design advantages to the Feng Shui approach. If you search with your favorite browser for the term Feng Shui or Bagua Map, you will find pages of pictures, diagrams and explanations that will help you utilize a room's small space.

5 Unique Craft Ideas For College Dorm Room Decorating

Decorating a college dorm room should be a fun and exciting time. It is a great opportunity to unleash your creativity and express your own individual style. While there are many different college dorm accessories you can purchase to decorate the room, making your own will give it much more personality.

Here are 5 Unique Craft Ideas to Decorate Your Room:

1. Make A Unique Comforter: Making a unique comforter or bed cover with iron on transfers is a fun way to add style to your room. You can find iron on transfer paper at just about any retailer that sells craft products, or you can purchase them online. They are very easy to use, as all you need to do is print out your favorite photos or images from your computer and then iron them onto fabric. This is a great way to make your comforter truly unique with your favorite patterns, designs, or photos. You will want to make sure the fabric you choose is compatible with the transfer paper and to also make sure you follow the manufacturer's directions for properly caring and washing the blanket once you are done.

2. Make A Collage: Your dorm walls will likely be plain and quite unattractive, especially if you're in a room that is constructed out of cinder blocks. Making a floor to ceiling collage can be an excellent way to cover up those plain and boring walls, as well as express your individual style. You can choose a certain theme or color, or go with something that has your favorite photos or phrases. All you will need is a lot of magazines, some paper, scissors, and a lot of glue to get started. Be sure when hanging your collage you follow the university's rules to make sure you don't put holes in the wall!

3. Make Your Own Rug: There are many different ways you can make your own rug. You can braid one out of scrap fabrics, or even take small carpet sample pieces and tape them together on the bottom to form a unique design. Other ideas include using place mats or other heavy duty fabrics.

4. Make Your Own Curtains: Curtains are a must for most rooms to make sure you have enough privacy and to keep unwanted sunlight out if you are trying to sleep in late. You can make your own quite easily by simply sewing or fastening loops at the top of any fabric material and then attaching to a curtain rod. Don't forget to add lace, trim, ribbons, or other decorative elements if you so desire.

5. Make a Hanging Mobile: A Hanging mobile is a fun way to add depth to your room as well as give your ceiling a little attention. You can do something as simple as hang postcards from the ceiling or make one out of different small items you have collected. Making a mobile is very easy to do, and will give your room something unique that likely most others don't have.

There are many creative things you can do to decorate your college dorm room. With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless on the different crafts you can make to express your individual personality and style

What Are the Advantages of Using Cheap Mini Blinds?

There are many advantages to using cheap mini blinds to cover the windows of your home. You can choose from blinds that look like aluminum to cheap faux wood blinds that are all the rage. These blinds can cover the windows of the house, giving you privacy and keeping out the light when it is needed.

You can open the slats in the cheap mini blinds just a bit to allow for a little bit of light to come through the window. One of the best features of cheap mini blinds is that they can still afford you privacy while letting in some light. You can also use the pulley feature on the blinds to lower them to let in a lot of light into a room and open up the window.

One of the best features of cheap mini blinds is the fact that they are very inexpensive. They can be used on their own to cover your windows as an effective window treatment or they can be used with other products such as curtain toppers and even drapes. Some people use these on their own to cover their windows while others use them along with drapes. The choice is yours. If you have a more contemporary décor in your home, you do not need anything other than the blinds. If you like a more traditional look, you can use the blinds along with curtains. Mini blinds can give an opaque color from the outside of the house and allow you to have colors of curtains inside the house.

Cheap mini blinds can be used in place of window shades as they are just as affordable but much more attractive. You can choose from cheap faux wood blinds to those that look like aluminum blinds. There are many different styles and colors from which to choose when you are looking for cheap mini blinds.

A Brief History of Ceiling Fans

Fans, even ceiling fans have been around for a very long time, they certainly pre-date the invention of electricity.

The traditional picture of Cleopatra has her flanked by two young men carrying fans taller than themselves - they weren't just for shows - the fans were to keep the Queen comfortable in the hot Egyptian sun.

The fan was no doubt invented when primitive humans living in the warmer parts of the world found that palm frond made for a good cooling device!

The British while ruling India found the local climate a little more extreme than what they were used to at home. They adopted the local building style and in fact the words "bungalow" and "veranda" both came into English via Hindi and the English Raj. High roofs and deep eaves weren't enough to survive the punishingly hot areas of India and the "pukka-wallah" was invented. The pukka was a long thin, flexible strip of lightweight wood or canvas which was suspended from a high ceiling in a home. A wallah (a man or servant in Indian English) was the person employed to sit outside the room and pull the string attached to the pukka - thereby creating a fan effect - with no electricity required.

Fast forward to the opening up of the southern US on the back of cotton and other crops. Huge areas of Southern USA have a hot and humid climate - particularly when combined to the settler's tendency to wear way too many clothes! Developing on from slave driven fans, the south used water turbines to turn fans - in the same way as a paddle steamer uses a paddle to power a boat.

These days ceiling fans are still commonly used - though often in combination with air conditioning - the ceiling fan has survived the years and it is still a must have for the modern house in warmer climates.

Ceiling Fans and Air Conditioners - Five Reasons You Need Both

Ceiling fans pre-date air conditioners by several hundred years, probably thousands. The original fans were of course human powered by means of a long rope which went from the fan out through the wall to the place on the veranda or corridor where the servant sat.

Modern air conditioning is, without doubt, a wonderful invention, particularly for those of us living in warmer climates - but ideally you should have both ceiling fans and an air conditioner and not rely on an air conditioner alone. Here is why:

1) Ceiling fans make your air conditioner work more efficiently - by forcing the cold air from the unit to mix with the warmer air in the room.

2) Overhead fans are generally quieter than air conditioners - you may be happy to sleep under a fan without the noise of an air conditioner cutting in and out all night.

3) The right ceiling mounted fan makes a powerful design statement. If you have a high-ceilings in a heritage home they look bare without fans.

4) Ceiling fans with heaters can be used year around and particularly useful with reverse-cycle air conditioning units.

5) If you are trying to reduce your heating and cooling costs, you will save a lot if you install a fan as it will help your heating or cooling system to run far more efficiently.

So don't try to save money on your home cooling system by thinking you can avoid installing fans. It would be a false economy that will cost you more in the long run.

5 Secrets to Painting Great Interiors

So, you've decided it's time to add a new splash of paint to your walls? If only the task was as easy as choosing your colors, picking-up your pots, and bringing out the brushes! Any good interior designer in Seattle, Miami, or New York knows that as well as planning things carefully and taking time over your choices, there are a few rules to revamping your walls that can make all the difference.

1. One wall doesn't have to equal one color! Get clued up about painting techniques that can add subtle or dramatic differences to your room. Use stencils or stamping kits to add details like your favorite flowers or classy borders. Or you might choose a mural - perhaps of a fireplace you wished you had or a fun collage for the children's nursery. If you're no Picasso, mural kits are inexpensive and easy to use. Techniques like sponging and ragging (using a sea sponge or household rag rubber-banded to a paint-roller) produce beautiful depth and texture when added onto a base of paint. And some paint brands are already textured to give you special finishing, e.g. suede-look or wood-finish.

2. Don't just think color, think light! Consider the balance of light in your room, not just the balance of colors. Think of the way an outside landscape is typically lighted - the earth is dark and as you look up to the sky, you see more light. Copy Mother Nature's example, and surely you won't go wrong. Paint your room by choosing darker colors for the floor, medium shades for the walls, and lighter shades for the ceiling.

3. Spend a day with your paint swatches. Colors painted onto walls can vary in appearance in different rooms and under different light. Apply test squares of your chosen paints on your walls. Observe how the colors look throughout the day, especially during times when you use the room the most. If you use a room mainly at night, you'll want your paint to go well with your lighting.

4. Don't just compliment your furnishings, enhance them! You're sure to choose color schemes that compliment your furniture, but you might want to choose ones that really highlight your room's best assets. Paint your walls in colors that are already found in a favorite rug or wall hanging and you'll really highlight their attractiveness.

5. Colors have feelings too! Think about how certain colors make you feel before you make your final choices. Soft colors like violet, blue, and green don't demand your attention and are soothing to the senses, creating feelings of calm and peace. Hard or warm colors like red, orange, and yellow, are bright and draw the eye. They convey energy and encourage cheerfulness. Finally, earth tones like brown, beige, gray, and taupe are muted colors and create elegant and sophisticated looks. But be careful - if not well balanced with enlivening colors to compliment them, these colors may prove too dull or quiet. Happy painting!

The List of Decorating Crimes

To kill a space, there is nothing better than strict rules, however, there are certain "crimes" in decorating that not even the boldest interior designer in Seattle will dare to commit for the sake of originality or fame.

Crime #1: Neglect Editing

The rule that states that less is more is sacred. An overcrowded room, full of furniture and trinkets, diminishes its main purpose, which is to showcase you and anyone else meant to enjoy it. Be brave and get rid of half the furniture and everything else inside your rooms; keep what you truly love, donate what you think is beautiful, discard what doesn't work, and allow for pure and positive energy to flow around every corner.

Crime #2: Shut Your Ears to the Room

Listen to the empty room before you decorate it. Feel its proportions, its surfaces, textures and colors; check the quality and the direction of light, and let its function guide the design. The furniture for a room must move places according to the space it was designated for.

Crime #3: Follow Trends Mindlessly

Forget about copying the minimalistic or Asian style presented by the top interior design magazine. The best room is the one with a unique identity, where you go in and immediately feel its special energy and balance because it shows your personality; the room is you!

Crime #4: Settle For What's Common

A room decorated with certain objects or style just because that's what's normally done, is a loser. Your imagination is the limit as to what your special room can become. Let it surprise you with your unexpected side, allow it to show you how confident and unique you truly are.

Crime #5: Not Make It Fun

Have you heard the advice: don't take yourself too seriously? Well, it applies to decorating too. There is always, and there always should be, room to be ironic, clever and interesting in a funny way. Good taste should be a personal principle, not an established rule.

Crime #6: Dread Color

Color is the cheapest and fastest way to imprint personality into a room. A well-selected color completely transforms a space and opens it to the senses from the inside out. Want to laugh, dream, dance, or rest fully in your home? Paint it with vibrancy and let bold colors speak about you. Never fear it!

Crime #7: Being Too Formal

Long are gone the days of formal dinning as in the XVIII century castles. Today we enjoy using and mixing our best china every day. At home, you want to actually feel at home; feel free, relaxed and be casual. You want your guests to feel at ease and special. You want to live your life at home!

Make the Most of Your Living Room - Five Secrets to Placing Furniture

When it comes to arranging your living room furniture, interior designers in Seattle, New York, or LA will tell you there are important rules to follow. Luckily, it's not rocket science. Apply the following to your room and notice the difference they can make:

1. Choose a focal point

Find something in the room that you want to be the main focal point. This could be something that is already in the room like a fireplace or a large window with a nice view, or you might choose a TV or entertainment system as these will be used often. Whichever you pick, you will then need to arrange your furniture, decorative items and seating around it.

2. Set your seating

If you want your living room area to be a place where those inside it can easily socialize, arrange your seating facing each other - or at right angles to each other - so that the seating space feels intimate. As described before, it should still be in front of or centered around your focal point. You will also have to decide if you wish to place a table or ottoman in the center of the seating, for placing drinks, etc, or if you wish to keep this space clear. If you choose the later, add small tables to the seating arrangement line (e.g. next to sofa ends or in between the squares created by placing the seats at right angles. These squares are also great for adding lamps.

3. Consider balance and symmetry

When you look at your room, are there certain areas which appear cluttered with large objects while others seem awkwardly empty? Try and place items so that there is a sense of balance to the space you have used. Using symmetry helps a room look good too, e.g., placing matching items at both ends of a sofa or hanging the same sized picture frames at opposite ends of a wall.

4. Think about your lighting

If your room doesn't have ceiling lights, you will need to prioritize the placing of lamp stands or tables that hold lamps. Work out which areas of the room need brightening during the day and place lamps there to maintain a balance of light in the room. Again, when it comes to night, make sure your lighting is well-balanced.

5. Experiment in miniature

Draw a layout of the room on paper and cut out paper miniatures of all the furniture and large belongings you will be placing inside it. Experiment with moving everything around, choosing different seating layouts, focal points and other arrangements. This will help you generate ideas and allow you to find the most practical and pleasing way to arrange your room.

Using the Contemporary Cotton Candy Color Scheme

When choosing the right color scheme for your child's bedroom or a room within your house, you want to choose colors that speak about your personality and really show off your design skills. In this article we will be learning about a contemporary fun color scheme that is easy on the eyes and sure to impress anyone. For this color scheme we will be using the color cotton candy for your main color. Before you get freaked out about the color cotton candy lets cover the secondary colors that really bring this scheme together. For the secondary colors you will want to use a nice rose and cooler lemon color. This balance of the cooler colors mixed with a bright cotton candy will give you a look that is sure to impress.

The first major place that I would recommend using this color scheme is within a child's room. You could paint the entire room the nice cotton candy color. This bold cotton candy color will create a very fun and festive room that will be fun for any girl to enjoy. If you do paint the entire room you will also need to ensure that you balance the cooler colors with the bright vibrant cotton candy. I would recommend that you use your secondary colors within the furniture in the room. To accomplish this idea you could simply buy rose or lemon colored pillows that could be place on the bed or anywhere else. This idea will help pull the colors away from the wall and ensure that you have a great balance.

You may also notice that this color palette is excellent for rooms that have little light. The brighter colors will intensify the light within the room. When you have a low lit room you may not want to use the darker color schemes, otherwise you may not have any light at all. However, always remember that this is your special room and that you have to see it every day. So always paint your room in the colors you want and not what someone else tells you.