Feng Shui & The Redesigned Oval Office

Today’s news includes an entertaining article about President Obama’s redesign of the Oval Office, in which designers and celebrities weigh in on the new design.

How is the new Oval Office from a Feng Shui perspective?

Very brown. Very heavy. Very Earth.

Everything in the center of this office looks heavy.

In Feng Shui it can be a good thing to anchor the energy, but here it looks like it would be very tough to get new ideas off the ground: there’s no lightness to it at all.

So much Earth energy throws it out of balance in terms of the Five Elements. The dark blue lamps (Water energy) can hardly compete with all that Earth, and the apples on the table don’t provide the uplifting Wood energy that might lighten things up.

To me it now feels like the energy is stuck (and of course I have a few ideas for what Obama and his designer could do about that )

What do you think?

photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Back To School, Back To The Office with Feng Shui

It seems too soon (!) but here we are: it’s time for the back-to-school, back-to-work routines of the “other” three-quarters of the year after the glories of summer.

How can Feng Shui help you ease back into the hustle and bustle of fall?

With Feng Shui’s calendar we can harness the power of the Five Elements: summer’s incandescent Fire becomes weaker as it feeds the Earth element of late summer, followed closely by the Metal element of fall.

Earth & Metal for Fall – The Season Of Joy
In Feng Shui, fall is the season of Joyful emotions, when we reconnect with friends, co-workers and clients.   Earth provides the energy for re-establishing these relationships, while Metal provides the stability and focus you need to make the most of them.

To get every part of your life ready for the season of activity ahead, here are Feng Shui tips for your home and office to help you harness the energies of the elements to your best advantage.

Fall Feng Shui At Home
1.  As the Fire-y brilliance of summer fades, keep the light alive and nourish your Earth element by bringing warm earth tones into your environment.

2. Re-connect with Earth by attending to indoor plants: fertilize them after the draining energy of summer, trim off dead material, and repot them or loosen up the dirt to give them some breathing room.

3. Support the Earth element by clearing clutter from horizontal surfaces like dining tables, guest beds and kitchen counters. Earth nourishes Metal, the element of maturity that helps you focus and bring closure to important projects.

4. Metal represents Children in Feng Shui’s Bagua.  If you have kids, this is the moment to help them fine-tune their bedrooms and study spaces as they return to school.

Fall Feng Shui For Your Office or Business
1.  Improve your ability to focus by adding Metal to your environment:  a metal objet d’art on your desk, a metal sign with your business name for your office door, a round box for office supplies…  (learn more about Feng Shui’s Metal element here.)

2.  In Feng Shui, fall is about the harvest and completion of projects.  Be proud of your business achievements so far this year: write them down, place the list on your bulletin board, and let your successes inspire your future growth.

3. As the quality and duration of daylight decreases, stay in contact with the Fire element by keeping your office well-lit.  Full-spectrum light bulbs are great for offices and will help you maintain your energy during the increasingly long days ahead.

4. A typical business Feng Shui challenge is that of too much Metal in the office: white walls and furnishings, metal filing cabinets and desks, shiny metallic accessories.

If this is the situation in your office, balance Metal by introducing healthy plants and/or red accessories.  Balance is always the key to good Feng Shui!

Don’t hesitate to call if you need a hand bringing these tips to life.  I’m available for Feng Shui consultations in New York City and via phone and email as well.

Feng Shui’s Growing Influence In Real Estate

Here’s a quickie for you: a fascinating article from yesterday’s NY Times, “When Feng Shui Helps Determine A Deal’s Fate.”

There are many ways to evaluate a space using Feng Shui and this article touches on just a few of them.  I’m not surprised to learn about Feng Shui’s growing influence as Asian businesses become more prominent in the US.

And one of my favorite types of jobs is evaluating a space before a business moves in so that egregiously bad Feng Shui can be avoided.

What do you think?  Is it wise for businesses to assess the Feng Shui before setting up shop in a new location?

Before & After: Office Feng Shui Part 2

We’ve looked at how moving the CEO’s desk transformed the Feng Shui of this office; this post takes a look at a few of the other high-impact Feng Shui adjustments.

Here’s the Before photo of the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer)’s desk:

The desk was crammed into a corner and far from the window, a wonderful source of natural light in the office.

From a Feng Shui perspective this location was also a problem because the CMO was sitting directly in the “line of Chi energy” entering the office.

Here’s the After photo:

Great, isn’t it? Once the two desks were moved, the office even had room for a small meeting table to accommodate visitors.

The bookshelves were cleared of unnecessary items and have become a nice design element for the room.

Finally, here’s a shot of the entry into the office (you can see where the CMO’s desk used to be). The office is missing one Bagua area, Travel & Helpful People, so to adjust for that I recommended hanging the large mirror you see in the entry hall here:

All in all the office feels and functions much better now for all concerned.

What do you think?

Before & After: Office Feng Shui Part 1

Creating offices with great Feng Shui is a key part of my work, and I recently had the good fortune to work on one where Before & After pictures tell a lot of the story.

The office belongs to a small tech firm that consists of two principles — a CEO and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) — who hire freelance specialists on an as-needed basis.

They wanted an office that felt, looked and functioned better, where they’d be proud to meet with clients and vendors, and that inspired them to do great work every day.

The CEO’s desk was our first priority. Here’s the Before photo:

The desk faced away from the door, distracting the CEO and putting him at a disadvantage when people came into the office.

He sat facing a window, which may be good for daydreaming, but isn’t so great for focusing on the task at hand and the huge desk was a clutter magnet, too.

Here is the “After” photo:

After we moved the desk across the room and into the Command Position, or Power Spot, he felt more focused, visually engaged, and “in charge” of his business. He decided that a smaller desk worked better for him, too.

The CEO told me he felt more inspired after this key re-positioning. The office layout makes more sense — the Chi energy flow is better, and it’s more obvious that business gets done here.

Stay tuned: in the next installment we re-position the CMO’s desk and deal with the entryway and an important “missing” Bagua area.

ps: They’re so busy that they’re getting ready to hire an assistant. Do you think it’s the improved Feng Shui?