Feng Shui: A Luxury Design Concept

Feng Shui: A Luxury Design Concept

In a time of extreme competition between luxury real estate developers, nothing is being held back in order to gain favor with potential buyers. From over the top amenities to bigger and brighter spaces, developers are searching for a marketing edge. With Chinese investors looking to safely put their money in certain U.S. markets, a new trend is being born in New York City, and could spread as homeowners look for a unique and mindful way to design their space.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is quickly becoming a popular decorating style  in modern NYC. A recent article from Luxury Listings NYC published several expert tips from R.D. Chin, a Feng Shui master who is working on luxury residential properties in the Lower East Side among other things. Here’s what Mr. Chin recommends when trying to Feng Shui your place, big or small.

  • Ground yourself. With so many high rises going up, it’s easy to get lost in the clouds. Chin recommends using earthy tones or the use of a living plant wall to balance out the fact that you’re on the 35th floor. “When you’re that high up, you really need something grounding, earthy,” he stated.
  • Dine near windows. Chin has noticed that many people place their living spaces near the windows, which he is actually switching with the dining room. He claims that “the window is much more of a yang experience, so I put the dining room by the windows and I put the living room in between the kitchen and the dining room. And they feel much more comfortable.”
  • Map out the corners of your space. Feng Shui masters use a type of map (ba gua) which is an octagon that lists the intentions for each corner of a room. The eight areas include Fame, Marriage and Commitment, Children and Creativity, Helpful People and Travel, Career, Knowledge, Family and Wealth and Power. The idea is to make sure each corner reflects what you want to be happening in each space (i.e. the bed is in the Marriage and Commitment corner, the desk is in the Wealth and Power corner). This concept can be applied in a room, an apartment or even an entire house.
  • Achieve bedroom balance. Chin believes that a bedroom really speaks to how a couple treat each other. A good relationship is a balanced one, so he recommends equaling out the space as much as possible and shopping together for pieces to decorate with. It’s crucial that both partners agree on the lay out.
  • Listen to your “Chi approach.” In other words, pay attention to how you feel in a space. Keep rearranging the furniture until it makes sense to you and it “feels right.”
  • Be honest with yourself. Chin claims that he often sees spaces that aren’t being used effectively. For example, he once had a client who was using a dark basement room as a home office when the dining room was never being used. “It was an empty chi space,” he said. “I’m helping people look at their life in a different perspective. I feel like it’s sort of being innovative, but at the same time it’s a lot of common sense.”
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