Franca Giuliani - Happy New Year to you! I always feel quite in flux this time of the year, because we're in between the calendar New Year and the Chinese New Year that's to arrive in mid-February. And then we also have the stars moving around in the beginning of February. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if most of us feel very invigorated, and yet at the same time a bit unsettled.

This's definitely a new time with new energy, and we should all take advantage of it. Resolutions should be taken one step further; turn each one into an action plan. We have the entire year to manifest what we want, so we shouldn't be foolish and waste this time.

Feng Shui Homework

Here are some assignments to help you get started shifting energy and absorbing the full potential of this New Year.

Get rid of three things in your space this month. It could be as simple a book you've been meaning to give away.

feng shuiGuest UserJanuary 7, 2013New Year, home, goal setting, resolutionsComment

Feng Shui Homework: Getting Unstuck

Franca Giuliani - Many times a client will call me for a consultation because they feel stuck. They may be uncertain as to what to do next, or they just may not have any sense of motivation. And in most cases, it's very obvious to “see” this “feeling” in their home space. Whatever is happening within us usually shows up in our environment one way or another. We just may not see it.

As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of another, this is a good time to address our "stuckness." Yes, we may be very busy now with the holidays, so we may be distracted as to what's really going on with us. Mark my words, however; once the last gift has been opened, once the last bite has been taken at the last holiday meal, if you have stuckness now, you'll still have stuckness when the last jingle bell sound fades away.

So before you even think about your New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you toacknowledge your existing situation. You may not understand it. You maybe not know exactly what's wrong or what to do about it. That’s okay. Just acknowledge how you feel. Then, cast positive words into your future. Again, don’t even think about how you're going to make it better. Just try to realize something that isn’t working for you anymore, and think of positive affirmations. For instance, if you worry too much, you may want to affirm, “I worry no more. I graciously accept the challenge.” Another example: “I'm bored. I shall not be bored anymore.” This just helps you acknowledge something that maybe you've not been addressing. Before you can start making changes, you first need to see that a change is necessary. Then you can start working on what to do about it.

May I make another suggestion? A new moon will occur on Thursday, December 13, and it's the last one for 2012. Whenever there's a new moon, it's always a good time to

Sheffield School, feng shuiGuest UserDecember 5, 2012Franca Giuliani, home, interior design, resolutionsComment

Feng Shui Homework: Travel Decor Items Will Boost Chi

Franca Giuliani - In my path I have met only a few people who hate traveling. In general I find that most people like it. Personally, I think traveling is a very important factor of life. It gives us a chance to learn new things, meet new people, and think of great ideas - all which can enrich our lives very much.

In feng shui, the bagua sector that represents this energy is found at the front right corner of your space: Helpful People and Travel (in the bagua above, it's listed as "Mentors and Networking"). It refers to the Heaven trigram and Father energy of a family, and it's associated with the number 6. This is a very powerful sector that emulates authority, control, and soaring possibilities. Having the element of metal, items with round shapes, and grays and whites in this area of your home - even in the front corner of a room - can be very beneficial for enhancing its forces.

Since it also represents travel and mentor support, it's important to have in this space symbolism of travel and symbolism of people or guides that inspire you.

And, yes here's another opportunity to be creative when you're decorating with feng shui in mind. For instance,

If a bathroom falls in this area, consider using a world map motif as a shower curtain. Start collecting hotel soaps from your journeys and use them as decor pieces.

If a kitchen falls in this space, you may want to enhance it with cook books for different countries and ethnic foods.

If here is where your living room is, there's so much you can do! Add an ottoman made of Moroccan fabric, or an item found in a Tuscan country house. Just make sure you pick things from places that you love.

feng shuiGuest UserOctober 2, 2012Franca Giuliani, bagua, decorating, home, interior design, travelComment

Feng Shui Homework: Work More Gratitude Into Your Home Decor

Franca Giuliani - Here in the United States, the fourth of July is a day of great reverence as we celebrate our nation’s independence. We are grateful.

Sometimes it takes a special holiday to remind us to be grateful. Normally, how often do we go through an ordinary day realizing all the things we are grateful for? Feeling the emotion of gratitude is very important, because it can really help our perspective on life. Remember, I always say that everything is energy. Well, the emotion of gratitude has a very high energetic vibration. The higher your energy vibrates, the better health and happiness you can enjoy.

Awhile back, I asked one of my clients to walk me around her home and show me what she is grateful of or what illustrates gratitude. I think it was one of the toughest things she ever had to do. Needless to say, I gave her an incomplete for this assignment. Then, I tried a different approach. I asked her to show me objects that she is ungrateful for or depicts ungratefulness. Apparently, that was an easier project for her. She quickly grabbed my hand with enthusiasm and dragged me to her bedroom. With an utter look of vengeance, she pointed to her nemesis: her alarm clock. She then processed to tell me how much she hated that alarm clock. She hated how it looked, and more importantly she hated and was very “ungrateful” of the buzzer sound it makes. “But, it’s an alarm clock. I need it. What can I do?” she said.

feng shuiGuest UserJuly 6, 2012Franca Giuliani, gratitude, homeComment

10 Feng Shui Tips - How to Use the Power of Color in Your Home

Franca Giuliani - Within feng shui as within design, color is very important and powerful. Before trying to pick out the "right color” for home decorating, let's try to understand color.

Color is energy. (And, remember, everything is energy.) Colors are specific wavelengths of energy that can be used to balance our chi, our life force. Here's what colors can do for you and yours:

Colors have an impact on our emotions and our vibration. They possess the power to arouse or to tranquilize, to bring joy or create depression.
Colors engage our eyes and influence how we interpret our emotional experiences. By understanding the emotional context of colors, we can manipulate the experience of space to benefit our energetic body.

Color Has Three Dimensions

HUE: This is the first recognizable characteristic of a color. It's the quality by which we distinguish one color from another, as red, yellow, etc.

VALUE: The quality by which we distinguish a light color from a dark color (or how clean the color is). Value is raised by adding white and is lowered by adding black. Colors change in value with light - the brighter the sun, the more light you have coming into a room, the brighter the room colors will be.

INTENSITY: The quality by which we distinguish a strong color from a weak one. Color is lowered in intensity by adding gray or by adding its complementary color.

Color Has Harmony

This is an agreeable combination of colors, and there are two kinds of harmony.

CONTRASTED HARMONIES use colors on the opposite side of the color wheel. Most common are complementary colors - exactly opposite.

RELATED HARMONY uses colors close to each other on the color wheel or only one color. Analogous colors are

feng shuiGuest UserJune 3, 2012Franca Giuliani, colors, decorating, green, home, redComment