INTUITIVE FENG SHUI
I had the pleasure of studying under Feng Shui Master and Architect, Simona Mainini, and though it started as a need for credits, it has informed how I design spaces, from how furniture is arranged to how lighting is applied. Though Feng Shui is a complex system of rules and even calculations, it was the intuitive aspects (the ones felt in our body and now explained by neurobiology and quantum physics) that made the biggest impression on me. Having an understanding of Feng Shui and being able to apply it has created a foundation for spaces that promote wellbeing.
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art and science of spatial arrangement. The goal of Feng Shui is to promote harmony between individuals and the built environment. Though Feng Shui was developed over 3,000 years ago on instinct, it can now be understood through the concepts of quantum physics and neurobiology. The Feng Shui ideas that I most identify with and employ in my design process are:
Our bodies, through the gateway of our senses, interact with space on an intimate and instinctual level and this interaction greatly impacts our bodily processes – how we feel in space. (Neurobiology).
Every item in a space imparts an energetic presence, whether it’s the paint on the walls, the table and chairs in your dining space or the art on your walls – nothing in your space is passive, even if it is inanimate (Quantum Physics).
To understand the importance of spatial arrangements, it is necessary to understand how our brain works. Our mind, the primitive brain to be precise, scans and processes each space we enter to decide if we are safe. Our brain is functioning to avoid threats to our well-being, either actual or potential, as a coping mechanism to deal with adverse or unexpected situations. Even though we may intellectually know we are safe, this vital defense mechanism is happening in the background, just as our hearts beat and lungs expand without conscious attention.
Suboptimal spaces (furniture layouts that keep your back to the majority of the room, beds placed without a view of the door, cluttered decorations, etc.) will either trigger our nervous systems into thinking we are unsafe or provide too much stimuli to allow our nervous systems to relax. Both of which do not promote wellbeing and will drain us of our energy, both physical and mental.
When we satisfy our instinctual need for safety we can then be afforded the luxury of deciding how we want to feel in a space. Each item in our space gives us a cue, from the colors to the lighting. The cool tones of blues and greens create a calming effect while the more vibrant hues of red and orange have a stimulating effect. The antique chair can ground us in history and tradition, while a room done entirely with antiques can make us feel stuck in the past. A dimly lite room can offer us a moment of anonymity and encourage us to open up, but a brightly lit room can make us feel on display with every flaw illuminated. These few examples illustrate how the elements our space have the power to make us feel a certain way. The greater power is being preemptive and intentional in the design– first asking, how one wants to feel and then acting to create the environment that supports it.