15 Aug Stayin’ Alive: Feng Shui Change on a Regular Basis

We all need change from time to time. It keeps us alive and vital. It keeps us engaged and on our toes. This is true for us as well as our homes. It isn’t just about cleaning and picking things up around your home, although the importance of that should not be minimized. But the change I’m talking about extends to a level of care that I call “nurturing the grace of the home”—-actions that not only keep the place alive but also instill a sense of uniqueness and beauty.

Sometimes we try a different hair style or a different shade of lipstick just for fun. We may decide it’s a keeper or we may go back to the original plan. Either way, some change has happened. We had a surprise when we looked in the mirror. My argument is to do this with your home as well. When something gets changed in your space, even the smallest item moved or tweaked, we have a moment of surprise over and over again whenever we see that specific area. Depending on the change, it could last for weeks.

We change our wardrobe depending on the season. We wear one kind of clothing when the temperatures are hot and humid and another kind when the temperatures drop below zero. Applying that same idea to the home, the idea of a summer bedroom and a winter bedroom is not a new one. Different comforters, different curtains and a rug or pillow change all create a new experience in that room.

Here are some easy ways to change your space as part of your commitment to keeping it alive. . . . .

1. Change your sofa pillows with the seasons or at least twice a year.
2. Alternate rugs near your front door that are completely different from one another.
3. Have summer bedding and winter bedding.
4. Change or re-arrange the items you have on your coffee table (or mantle or side-table).
5. Bring in a different bouquet of fresh flowers each week.

Some of these actions you may already be taking. Certainly during the holidays, we all typically experience a shift in the environment because of the decorations we use. We may appreciate when things go back to “normal,” but for a while the space is different. We have taken it out of its routine for a while and tried something new. In return, you may feel the urge to do likewise—-try something new, proof that you are stayin’ alive.

Excerpts from Carole’s book “Conversations with Your Home” available