Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the ancient Asian practice of space planning and object arrangement designed to bring balance, harmony and well-being to your living and working areas.   Its purpose is not only to enhance prosperity, but also creativity, health, and romance. Feng Shui fortifies a home with positive energy known as chi. The attainment of positive chi is both an art and a blessing to those who manifest that chi. The word “feng” means wind and “shui” means water, each one associated with a good harvest and ultimate good health or good fortune.

Reducing sublte stresses and irritations is the beginning of the many benefits of Feng Shui , and the result is an easier and more comfortable life . A good energy flow is brought about by the application of good Feng Shui , and this makes for a better life and for greater happiness.

Five Basic Feng Shui Tips

1. Arrange your office such that your desk faces the door or is at a diagonal to the door. If this is impossible then consider arraching a mirror to the wall so you can see what’s behind you. I’ve been more productive since I changed the layout so that my desk faces the door.
2. While you are cleaning and organizing pay attention to basements and under your bed as energy rises.   Clutter disrupts the good energy flaw that you’re looking for.   Are the items you have stored in these places really necessary?   You can be sure that you don’t need the stuff if you only see it during spring cleaning.  A decluttered living space is much less stressful than one that isn’t.
3. In the kitchen, if you cook while facing a wall you leave your back exposed , a position that is considered weak in feng shui. Placing a mirror on the wall behind the stove will allow you to see what’s going on behind you while you cook. If something happens, or someone comes up behind you, then you will be able to see it in the mirror.
4. Fresh flowers bring beautiful uplifting energy to the kitchen. Place a bowl of fruit, a vase of flowers, or a living plant on your kitchen table, windowsill, or wherever the layout of your kitchen allows. (In feng shui, dried flowers have no life energy in them, so they are not recommended. If real plants are impossible, you can use very lifelike fake ones, but the effect will not be nearly as strong.)
5. If your love life needs a quick boost, you can use the art of placement (Feng Shui for Romance) to produce the romantic results you desire. Dust and cobwebs on the fans, walls, light fixtures and ceilings should be cleaned away. Enhance your space with romance colors, such as shades of pinks, reds and whites. Guys, this does not mean it has to be feminine. You can use maroon, grayish tones of pinks and whites to achieve the same results. You don’t want one color to overpower the others,so consulting with a Feng Shui expert is a good idea.

While this is by no means the ultimate guide to Feng Shui, it is a good start. These five tips will help to give your life the boost it deserves and the fulfillment it requires. Alter your space and you will change your life.

Making a change to your bedroom doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It doesn’t matter if your working on a complete makeover or just adding a couple of accessories; a little creative thinking will make all the difference.

This is what you’ll need to get start:

Buy a few accessory pillows for $10 each (or less) in a new color palette. Take pillows of similar color, mix up the textures –like silk and chenille – and you’ve instantly go yourself a sophisticated monochromatic look. You can get a romantic feel by creating a layer of pillows with larger pillows in the back and smaller ones in the front.

A fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the look of room and its fairly inexpensive to do. Think repainting the entire room is too big of project? Then break it down by focusing and painting only one wall and experimenting with a single area of the room.

Older more detailed closet doors can be spruced up by painting the frame in a neutral color and the inset in a dark color. Painting furniture is also a great way to give the room new life. Give an old dresser a faux antique finish or sponge paint a cabinet.

A new headboard can be rather expensive. Want to try something bold and different? Pick up a picket fence or ornate wrought iron fence at your local flea market. Bed skirts make most beds look soft and sophisticated and are an inexpensive decorating investment. They’re available in several color, textures and patterns. Soft and neutral colors give you the best of both versatility and beauty. It should not be the focal point of your bed but simply the perfect finishing touch.

Treating your windows is much easier than you would think. A swag at the top of the window is inexpensive (depending on your fabric choice) and not too dramatic. It’s the perfect way to add a famine touch to the room. You can place bicycle or plants in the ceiling. Or opt for just a blind and an inexpensive garland or floral accent at the top of the window. Another look we love is a simple curtain rod with some trendy finials and simple ready made drapes. Ikea, Kmart, Target, JCPenney and Pottery Barn carry a large selection of all of these items.

Do you have a canopy or four-poster bed in need of a new look? Adorn the poles with fabric to achieve that *pond* affect, where the fabric appears to create a *pond* at the base. Getting this effect is easy, all you need is to add about an extra 20 inches before it’s cut. Don’t’ forget the perfect decorative item, candles. While most people go with white candles, since they’re the most sophisticated, consider clustering colored candles to create a focal point on a night stand or dresser. Group your candles in batches of 3, 5 or 9 – avoid even numbers since they tend to be boring. Try using a variety of different candle heights and gather them on a wall shelf.

Framed posters, artwork and mirrors are an easy and inexpensive way to give a room an new look, but make sure your choices complement your current décor. Keep it simple with a neutral colored frame – black, gold, brown or white. Placing shelves is a quick way to liven things up. Collections are perfect for displaying on a wall shelf, but try to stay away from small items. Placing a lot of tiny accessories will leave the shelf looking cramped and cluttered. You can experiment with a grouping of vases with flowers or use the self to hold up a framed poster or painting.

Steve Balman has been in the furniture and home decorating business for almost 20 years. He writes for a popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They offer American made Arts & Crafts and Mission style bedroom, living room, dining and office oak furniture for your home or office. They offer a line of furniture that not only looks great, but is built using Old World craftsmanship. It doesn’t matter if your looking for handmade mission beds or solid wood night stands, they carry only the best in American made quality furniture at everyday affordable prices.

Craig Ellyard writes extensively for Loft Conversion Uk and is the author of the best selling ebook Plan And Design Your Loft Conversion