How can
I calm my space down? I have just moved from a
house in a quiet town to Boston and feel there is just
too much energy in my apartment! It has a large living
room, high ceilings, a fireplace and a bay window facing
the very busy street. My stuff doesn’t fit. I can’t
get comfortable here!
Answer:
A great way to help
your transition from a quiet town to the Big City is to
reduce the yang in your apartment by adding yin elements
and features. A quiet town is yin—slower, quiet,
peaceful; the city is yang—busy, bright and fast.
Energy shifts naturally within the environment from quiet
to active, cool to warm, shadow to light. Too much or too
little of a quality can cause an imbalance. This can be
harmonized with Feng Shui by balancing the yin and yang
energies of the space.
Your apartment is yang, with the high ceilings, very large
living room, and full of stuff as a result of downsizing.
The street noise and activity from people and traffic and
tall buildings are also yang.
My recommendations:
Add yin with softness in drapes and sheer curtains
on the bay window facing the street. This will soften
your space, soften the sound and give you a cozy sense
of privacy at night.
Lower the ceiling height visually, by adding horizontal
arrangements of pictures and lower the pictures to
eye level. Bring the center of gravity down in the room
with strong visual elements below eye level, including
the use of lamps instead of overhead lighting.
Create an intimate conversation group with the furniture
centered on the fireplace, rather than the window.
If furniture pieces are far away from each other in a
large room, you are not invited to be comfortable.
Too much
visual stimulation (with all your stuff) is yang
and can be stressful. Purchase a storage cabinet with
doors and create extra storage shelving in the closets.
Add plants and a gently flowing fountain to return
to nature and divert your attention away from the street
to a more soothing atmosphere.
