9 Feng Shui Tips for Apartments, Michelle Skally Doilney

What is Feng Shui? It’s the art and science of creating a balanced, practical and comfortable environment, including an apartment, home, office or garden. Feng Shui integrates internal (people) and external (land/space) environments, and has been practiced in many cultures over thousands of years. Feng Shui adjustments can be simple and inexpensive, such as moving furniture to practical positions, or can be detailed and budgeted, such redecorating or remodeling using Feng Shui principles.

Why use Feng Shui?  Have you ever walked into a room and felt uncomfortable? How about the relaxing feel of your cozy living room after a long day of work? Your space affects your life. Why not use practical ways to make life more comfortable, productive and beautiful?

9 Apartment Tips:

1. Keep only what you love or need. Unused items kept “just in case” take space away from what matters. Items you don’t like or need create conscious and unconscious negative thoughts every time you look at them.
2. Clear clutter. Start by removing 1 item from your apartment for nine days in a row. It can be something from your junk drawer, unread magazines, or the lumpy chair. Recycle, toss or donate items to a charity as appropriate.
3. Personalize your apartment entry and make it welcoming with a rug on the inside and/or outside of the door.
4. Help keep the communal entryways and grounds of your community clean. Even if a management company is responsible, you can make a difference by picking up that gum wrapper when you see it.
5. For a studio apartment: use clever but non-cluttering ways to separate sleeping, working and living areas of your apartment to strengthen those boundaries. Use folding screens, curtains, tall silk plants or rugs to define space. 
6. Especially for a one-bedroom apartment: Keep work out of the bedroom. Bedrooms are meant for resting, rejuvenation and intimacy – not the guilty or busy energy you’ll feel when you stare at a computer screen or dusty exercise equipment.
7. Get a plant to “liven up” your space. Buy a quality silk plant and keep it dusted or nurture a healthy, live plant.
8. Take the trash and recycling out often. Trash is more visible (and “smellable”) in smaller spaces.
9. Whatever changes you make, do them with positive intent and a smile.

For more information on Feng Shui or Michelle’s class/consultation schedule, go to: www.practicalenvironments.com

© Michelle Skally Doilney

There are many books, and resources on the Internet that show how to use Feng Shui and the the Baugua, eight trigrams.  To get started click here to check out the wiki page on Feng Shui.