How we did it.
This beautiful Paris apartment is owned by a single mother, who has a passion for decorating and antique collecting. Her style is very assertive, and therefore it was important for me to respect her taste in choice of decor, while at the same time introducing a feeling of playfulness and fun.
Challenges:
My client loves antique shopping and art collecting. But antiques and art carry an energetic weight with them that is important to dissipate and clear.
My client feels "at home" in the Wood element. This means that she surrounds herself with a lot of wooden objects. In addition, the apartment has a few columns, which are typically considered as not very good, in Feng Shui. Columns are also "Wood" in shape.
Because her taste is so distinctive, I felt strongly that we needed to make more room for another person entering her life, with their own taste and sense of style. My goal was to design an environment, where another person could flourish as well.
I had to find ways to brighten her apartment in some of the center rooms.
My contribution:
We did a space clearing to remove all negative energy from antique furniture and collected art.
Adding Metal (white, metallic objects, golds and silver) and Fire (with lights, candles, triangular shapes, leather, art representing animals) was essential in order to "minimize" all the surplus of Wood and "burn" some of the anxiety associated with the Wood element.
Removing all the dead wood (dry flowers) and replacing them with fresh flowers greatly enhanced the energy in the house.
We removed all the symbols representing solitude such as single armchairs, pictures of men or women alone, art representing sadness or torment. We recommended symmetry in the choice of objects (two hats, two coats), in the choice of bedroom furniture, lamps and art (two similar nightstands, statues of a man and a woman together, frames in pairs). This symmetry suggests that an equal partner is now able and willing to enter my client's life, since it was her wish.
Removing some cutting symbolism: for example, books lying flat in the bookshelf, adding earthy drapes to the walls so as to "forget" the columns in the living room, putting away knives in the kitchen.
I suggested displaying art, clothes and musical instruments conveying playfulness and fun.
Results:
My client is thrilled with the changes we made in a relatively short time and is reportedly much less anxious and happy. She has expressed a feeling of calm that has allowed her to reexamine and make positive change in so many areas of her life. I will be updating her story in a future post.
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