Feng Shui Steps to Prepare for 2012

Franca Giuliani - Based on 9 Star Ki astrology, the month of September in general will tend to be a quieter month … just in time to regroup and get back to the basics.

It’s a good idea to add a water feature or some item or painting that represents water in the North section of your home, and leave it there until the beginning of October.

"Out on the Water" / Painting by Elizabeth Robinette Tyndall

This is also a time when interested people tend to seek a consultation by a feng shui practitioner. A consultation can really help one get ready for 2012, since your current environment can be assessed and recommendations can be offered to help you better prosper in this upcoming year - or at least save you from some unnecessary angst.

If you're seeking a practitioner, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Find out what school of feng shui they follow, as there are many different ones with different approaches. One is not better than the other; however, there could be discrepancies in opinions, so it's just good to know what school the recommendations were based on.
• Ask if they also energy clear. Any space can benefit from having it cleared before applying feng shui recommendations.

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Top 10 Feng Shui Tips

Irwin Weiner ASID - Leave it to an LA-based designer, Elizabeth Chamberlain, to come up with a play on "face lift." Her feng shui and interior design consultancy, Space Lift, offers full-service feng shui and design services, assisting clients to realize the optimum potential for their space and life. Listen, you don't have to be a feng shui or woo-woo zombie to follow the principles of feng shui - and that's precisely why I liked Elizabeth's video that we're featuring today. Her 10 tips are practical and useful. They're common sense, and you don't have to stretch your faith or your budget to completely buy in. Every home benefits from good flow, and that's what feng shui accomplishes. (Look for our monthly feng shui advice in our Feng Shui 101 column on Design2Share.) 

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Update on July 18, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Working with a Feng Shui Practitioner

Irwin Weiner ASID - When you're hiring a feng shui practitioner, you're looking for someone who can tastefully and subtly impact your home or office environment in a meaningful and life-changing way. Good feng shui consulting, as seen in the following video, is about listening to your needs. The ideal practitioner for you and your family should be flexible to your situation, your space, and consider your personality, lifestyle, and tastes. The practitioner will use a bagua to study your space and make recommendations, but it's far from "one size fits all" because where you would like your life to go is where you and your practitioner should put your focus. You'll get some good technique pointers from this video of Beverly Hills based Ariel Joseph Towne, otherwise known as The Feng Shui Guy. 

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World's Most Expensive Fountain

InternetCont Ltd.

Jay Johnson - There's something wet and wild about water shows like the one at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Befitting the world's tallest skyscraper is the world's costliest water show. Having seen WET Design's fountain shows at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, you're prepared for the Dubai Fountain extravaganza. The cost: $200 million for the 900-foot-long array with 6,600 lights. Enjoy this fountain show video; quite amazing!

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