Finding balance and joy at home

Adding elements of feng shui creates positive energy

If the idea of feng shui scares you, take this Eastern philosophy of home organization down to its most basic level: It’s merely a study of energy and how it affects people.

Houston interior designer Sophia Vassiliou learned about feng shui in design school years ago and has practiced it on a small scale, working fundamental elements into clients’ projects in a way that isn’t too scary. Rarely does anyone ask for her to “feng shui” their home, but they do want more energy, light, balance and function — all essential elements of this ancient practice.

“Its main goal is about creating good, healthy energy,” she said. “It’s about opening space to discover joy, balance and beauty.”

Vassiliou spoke about the subject recently at a Houston Chronicle-Houston Design Center Access Design event. Here are seven tips from her talk:

Addressing clutter is a pop1.ular

topic these days, and it’s an important one for Vassiliou, too. To improve the energy of your home or office, you may need to first get rid of clutter — because sometimes it’s hard to see the things that bring you joy when they’re covered with so much other stuff. Vassi

liou said that a key element of interior design is editing, and that’s what you can call sorting through what you keep and what you get rid of. 2.— Think about the flow

or “chi” — of your home. Feng shui followers talk about “blockages,” and in a home, they can be something as simple as narrow doorways or spaces that don’t have enough entry points. You might have furniture blocking walkways, too, so consider foot traffic in your home and rearrange things to make it easier to navigate. Can you get from one room to another easily and without hindrance? If not, you might need to add or widen doorways. 3.feng Vassiliou said that

shui, in some ways, is the art of placement. Placing the right balance of colors, materials and furnishings in a room yields function, beauty and joy. Even negative space — literally, empty spaces — are part of the equation.

4.matter The colors you use

and correspond to feng shui’s five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Wood elements are browns, greens and wood tones, where fire captures passion, energy and warmth in reds, oranges and yellows. Earth colors are golden or sandy and include animal print and natural stone. Metals include stainless steel and gray-blue-white tones and bring the energy of calm, clean precision. White, gray and black are “water” colors, and the use of mirrors and glass are helpful.

5. Light is important for good feng shui. Sometimes a room just feels dark and depressing, so you need to do what you can to bring in more natural light. If windows aren’t huge and can’t be replaced, consider window treatments that let in more light instead of darkening a room. For example, you can replace heavy, layered window treatments with more minimalist Roman shades. Mirrors are another great design tool because they reflect light and are both decorative and functional. 6.room Ceilings can help a

feel lighter and more open. If you can, create a vaulted ceiling by removing a drop ceiling and let the roofline determine a room’s height. No matter how big the room is, that will always make it feel bigger. 7.isn’t Remember, feng shui

just about following a fixed set of rules. Sometimes it’s simply about adapting your home to be more functional. Let common sense be your guide as you find balance and joy where you live.

Courtesy of Sophia Designs Designer Sophia Vassiliou used white paint and added mirrors to one wall to help reflect light and brighten up the room.

Courtesy of Sophia Designs What once was a dark room benefited from a lighter paint color and the addition of white linen shades.