Energize & Harmonize Your Home

You CAN design more peace, relaxation, and harmony right into your home!

In this blog post, I define Harmony in home design and the importance of how you FEEL in your home.  Then, I Flow right into a discussion about feng shui.  I debunk  skepticism about this ancient philosophy and encourage you to find joyful living in a way you never thought possible!

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Harmony

Harmony is defined as “the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.”  Your home is a significant component of your whole life.  We want your home to feel like an extension of YOU, such that your home is a true expression of the person you’ve created yourself to be.

You want to move through your home effortlessly as though 
you are in a synchronized dance with the structure around you.

Harmony in home design can best be described as creating beauty and the FEELING OF HOME by using a combination of geometry, symmetry, proportion and scale.  It takes into consideration elements you rarely notice, yet have a profound effect on your life.

Pay Attention to How You FEEL!

The important thing to pay attention to is how you FEEL inside your home!  Your home should create a sense of joy, ease, comfort and support.  You may be thinking “how can a house make me feel anything.”  You’ve likely visited someone’s home that made you feel uncomfortable.  This is a result of those rarely noticed elements that you can’t quite put your finger on. 
 
Alternatively, you’ve likely visited a property that made you immediately feel welcomed and at home.  At Pippin Home Designs, we SPECIALIZE in these life and energy altering elements.

By designing appropriately, we’re able to enhance 
positive feelings and the living experience within your home.

Home and Soul
​​In the way that our body houses our soul, our home houses the energy of the spaces within it.  Home has the potential to lift our spirits and give us roots, grounding us and offering us something that is much more than shelter. ​A home can and should be a sanctuary; respected for its power to rejuvenate, refresh, and restore our energy.

Flow of Energy

The understanding of energetics is deeply engrained in nearly every culture across the world.  From Egyptians to Hindus to Native Americans, indigenous people have always felt deeply connected to the energy emitted and received by natural elements.  Even the Christian Bible and the Jewish Torah tell stories of God appearing as various forms of energy (wind and fire).  Energetics is the foundation of martial arts and the practice of acupuncture.  It is all around us and we can use it to live a more harmonious life.
 
Vastu Shastra from India translates to science of architecture and dates back 12,000-13,000 years.  It’s the science of harmonious living by enhancing positive energy (prana, or life force) and eliminating negative energy.  This is where the principles of feng shui originate.

Feng shui (literally meaning wind-water) is an ancient Chinese philosophy dating back to 4000 B.C.  It is the art of balancing the opposing forces of positive (yang) energy and negative (yin) energy, otherwise known collectively as chi.  Chi is sourced by five natural elements: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.  Each element possesses attributes that can be used to manipulate the direction and flow of chi.

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+/- Energy

Do not get confused, the positive and negative energy referred to here is NOT defined as good and bad.  In fact, both are considered good and are, more specifically, referred to as shen chi.  
 
Shen chi translates to upward moving energy and is used to harmonize people to their surroundings. 

When chi is balanced throughout the home it lifts our spirits, 
attracts wealth, and supports health and well-being!

The yang (+) and yin (-) energies have a push/pull effect on one another, much like the dipoles of a magnet. 
 
Positive chi contains yang qualities; masculine in nature, active, creative, and energizes the space around it.  
 
Negative chi contains yin qualities; feminine, calm, passive, and brings peace and relaxation.  
 
Both yin and yang energies are required to work together to balance each other out.  Too much yang chi results in feelings of chaos and destruction.  Too much yin causes feelings of stagnation or resistance to progress.
 
Based simply on these characteristics of chi energy it’s easy to guess which areas of the home require slightly more positive or yang energy, like the home office and kitchen where all the work takes place.  While other areas would do best with more yin energy, like the bedroom where it’s vital to create a place for rest and rejuvenation.

Energy is Always in Flux

The directional flow of chi follows the flow of nature.  You want chi to flow in a nice smooth fashion through your home.  Chi enters the home via doors and windows and the goal is to balance the flow of this energy such that every room receives the proper proportions.  To help you visualize the direction of flow, think of chi as rushing water and then consider the layout of your home to see where there may be obstructions to the natural flow.  

Bad Energy

It’s important to acknowledge that there are bad energies that you want to avoid or remedy, referred to as si chi and sha chi.  
 
Si chi is the opposite of shen chi (the good chi we discussed).  It is death or decaying energy and is created by clutter, messes, or repressed negative emotions.  Long term exposure to this energy will result in disease and depression.
 
Sha chi is killing energy, referred to as “poison arrows.”  It’s created by hard, sharp lines and protrusions in and around the home.  Lines of a neighboring building that point directly into your bedroom window can affect your ability to sleep restfully and causes marital issues.  This “poison arrow” energy results in struggle, illness and stress.

Remedies for Bad Energy

​Proper use of feng shui in home design can remedy these bad energies and enhance the smooth flow of good energies.
 
Jenny's remedy for sha chi: I pay very close attention to the homesite!  I take into consideration the layout of neighboring buildings making sure there are no “poison arrows” directed towards bedroom windows.  I also consider the proximity and direction of trees and other natural features.  All of the homes I design are created to coexist WITH the environment, assuring that as much of the good shen chi from these natural elements are able to enter the home, while minimizing as much of the bad sha chi as possible.
 
Jenny's remedy for si chi: Organization, cleanliness, and functionality are paramount in my designs.  I make sure that there are plenty of easily accessible and convenient storage areas so clutter will never be an issue.  I also suggest using natural sustainable materials that are durable and easy to clean.

Feng Shui Basics in Home Design

The following are some guiding principles of feng shui in home design, though it should be noted that there IS flexibility when applying these principles to your home.  You could spend a lifetime researching and applying all the different feng shui principles.  Many people have made entire careers out of feng shui.  
 
The most important factor to pay attention to is how you FEEL in your home.  If a particular feng shui principle doesn’t resonate with you or you simply aren’t able to apply it, don’t worry.  We work with you to find exactly what works best for YOU, in your YOU-Inspired Home!

1. Doors and Windows channel light and move chi in and out of your home.  Doors, especially the main door, should open inward, inviting the good chi inside.  They should not be placed directly opposite to one another. This would send the good chi right out upon immediate entry.  That being said, many of our clients enjoy the beautiful, wide sweeping views of the lake, mountain, forest or farm setting they’re in through their home from the front door.  There are ways to mitigate chi from escaping out the back windows or doors if placed directly across from the entry.  Placing certain objects like a wind chime, hanging prism crystals, or a mirror between the two doors (or windows) will help redirect chi and keep it flowing throughout the home.

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2. Natural Ventilation and Daylight are achieved through plentiful and large windows that open entirely.  These windows not only maximize your view of the nature around you, they also invite good chi into your home.  Fresh air and daylight are tremendously beneficial to your health and productivity, too!

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3. The Front Door should be solid and made of high-quality materials.  The quality of the energy entering the home is dependent on the quality of the front door.  It should be placed away from an opposite wall, which would cause an obstruction and prevent views of nature to be seen upon entering the home.  It also should not open to a view of the bathroom, which is an energy sink (chi is literally flushed down the toilet and drains).  Not to mention, nobody wants their first view of the inside of their home to be a toilet. 

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4. Entryway Design should entail a curved or winding path to the front door (to avoid “poison arrow” killing energy from rushing into the home).  The steps up to the porch should be wide, accessible and welcoming to invite guests and good chi into the home.  Trimmed hedges or bushes around the entry way invite positive energy, while rock gardens and large trees act as obstructions.  The entry area should be kept clean and free of trash, bins and other objects that attract si chi (death and decaying energy).  You want only good chi (shen chi) at your main entrance.

Here, a garden room filters energy from the garage into the home through the natural elements of plants, wood, stone and sunlight.  The winding pebble path to the door entering the home prevents “poison arrow” energy.

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5. The Bedroom is the most important room of the home.  It’s where we sleep to rejuvenate ourselves at the end of each day.  Quality sleep lends to a quality life.  Elements focusing on yin (relaxing) energies are best for the bedroom.  It’s important that bedrooms are designed so that no sharp angles from architectural features, walls or furniture create “poison arrows” with the bed.  Workspaces (offices and kitchens) should be kept away from the relaxing space of the bedroom (see below).  Early risers will appreciate having the bedroom on the eastern (sunrise) side of the home to support a natural circadian rhythm.  Those who are more light sensitive enjoy their bedroom on the western (sunset) side.

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6. Bathrooms create si chi (decay energy) because that’s where waste is disposed.  Shen chi (good energy) travels out of the home along with wastewater.  Bathroom doors, and toilet lids, should remain closed and never seen from the entry to prevent health and wealth from escaping the house.  ​

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7. The Kitchen evokes yang chi and should be placed near the center of the home.  Kitchens too close to the front door cause overeating and weight gain.  The kitchen interior should be bright and ergonomic.  A breakfast nook should be placed near the sunrise side of the home, where the warm morning light will bring joy and comfort to beginning your days.  

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8. Staircases move energy up and out of the home.  They should not be placed directly in front of a door or in the center of the home, or chi will escape quickly causing great discord.  The best location for a stairwell is on an outer wall of the house.  This placement provides an opportunity for a window of natural light in the stairwell.  If placing a staircase against an outside wall is not possible, it’s a good idea to put a skylight or sun tunnel over it to still obtain the natural light and positive chi. 

Here, is an example of ways to mitigate a stairwell in the center of the home and maintain views from the front door to the back windows.  A green spiral staircase is hidden by the orange wall, deflecting all the good chi from moving too quickly up and out of the home.  The circle hole in the wall still allows for a grand entrance with a view.  The totem on the floor of a woman holding a bird is a symbol used in feng shui to help maintain positive chi.

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9. Separate Your Work Environment from Your Home Environment!  The way you FEEL at work should be opposite of the way you FEEL at home.  With the recent increase in people working from home due to the pandemic, it’s vital that you create a workspace in your home that harbors more yang chi for creativity and commanding energy.  Your home is traditionally where you return to after a day’s work and should evoke feelings of comfort and relaxation.  More yin chi through the rest of your home will create this distinction, allowing you to let go of your work responsibilities and reach a state of rejuvenation.  Keeping the workspace separate from the relaxing areas of the home allows for work conversations and Zoom meetings to remain private and uninterrupted.

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These are a few examples of what we include in our designs, if my client so chooses.  There are many more ways to encourage flow of shen chi (good energy) through your home.  If you’re interested, we can dive further into these details during your YOU-Inspired Discovery Process conversation with me.

Still Skeptical of Ancient Wisdom?

It may be challenging to believe an ancient Chinese philosophy that describes a force that cannot be seen.  There are many skeptics when it comes to feng shui and that is perfectly understandable.  However, I challenge you to consider some everyday situations that you may not realize are governed by this same chi energy.
 
Have you ever walked into a room where people have just been arguing?  They smile at you as soon as you enter and try to pretend like everything is ok, yet you can sense that something is off.  Is this because you suddenly developed ESP and can read their minds?  Or perhaps, ex-ray vision and you were able to see them fighting through the walls?
 
No, in fact, we humans are all capable of sensing the energy around us.  Some are more receptive than others, and we as a species are all capable of this perceived superpower (and so are our pets).

Have you ever spent time in nature and felt more calm, clearheaded and happy?  This is the powerful effects of shen chi.  
 
Whether you choose to believe in the energetics of feng shui or not, a home designed with these principles in mind will result in a more beautiful and harmonious structure.
 
Homeowners around the world have hired feng shui consultants as part of their Team to make sure their home achieves the highest degree of healthy and beneficial energetics.  My knowledge, implementation, and daily use of feng shui principles are an added bonus to all my clients in the creation of your YOU-Inspired masterpiece.
 
When your home is designed to be an extension of you, with a focus on Flow and Harmony, every room becomes a representation of you, your dreams, desires, and self-expression.  Your home makes you FEEL authentically you; unique, loved, supported, and nurtured.  The positive energy in your home encourages the forward momentum in your pursuit of life fulfillment.  

A YOU-Inspired life goes hand-in-hand with a YOU-Inspired home, 
and both are required to achieve joyful living.

I intend you find flow and harmony in your everyday life.  
​Inspired by YOU,

​Jenny Pippin, CPBD, FAIBD, CGP
Pippin Home Designs