De-Stress Your Relationship

Valentine’s Day is an opportune time to look at your primary romantic relationship. No matter how well it’s going, all relationships can use some support. Feng shui gives us some practical and magical tools to give your relationship some extra support. And if you’re not in a relationship, these tips still apply!

1. A headboard for support

A stable headboard that is securely attached to the bed represents solid support and stability in a relationship. The best type of headboard has no bars, holes or perforations. The bars may indicate feeling imprisoned or caged! Holes or perforations lack stability and may weaken a relationship. If you already have a headboard, just make sure to tighten it to the bed. The headboard should be securely and mechanically fastened to the bed (rather than attached to the wall, or almost falling off). If you don’t have a relationship, the headboard will help you to attract a relationship that has enough support to last!

2. Equal partners

Be sure to maintain equality in the relationship by having equal space on both sides of the bed. If possible, each person should have at least 18” of space between the wall and the side of the bed. You also want to have equally balanced nightstands with lamps. The nightstands need not be matching, but close in size. I had a client whose husband had a huge nightstand, and she had this tiny little thing. Such a situation may manifest itself in an unbalanced power relationship between the couple. If you’re single, this lets the universe know that you have space available to accommodate someone into your life.

3. Pair of rose quartz

Rose quartz is a natural semi-precious gemstone that assists in opening up our heart to receive and give love. Place two similarly sized pieces of this natural stone on your nightstand to symbolize and attract supportive openness between you and your partner. If you are looking for a romantic relationship, the rose quartz can support self-love and healing so that you can attract the best partner.

4. Clean under the bed

Whether you’re single or have a partner, the objects and storage underneath your bed can represent unconscious blocks in your love live. The energy of anything under your bed truly affects you in a great way, especially because we spend many passive “yin” hours sleeping in bed. If you must have some storage there, stick to sleep related items such as pillows, blankets and linens. Absolutely no photos of ex-lovers or anything sharp or dangerous.

5. In case you need more passion

Hey, we can all probably use a little more passion in our lives right? Maybe for Valentine’s Day it’s time to treat yourself to a racy little lingerie set… in RED! Red is the color passion and fire. Get yourself some sexy red underwear and see how it makes you feel. I promise it will make a difference. You can also get yourself some red sheets to heat things up in bed!

by Anjie Cho

Q&A Sunday: What Color Should I Paint My Front Door?

How do you know which color to paint your front door? 

Teri G., New York, NY

Hi Teri,

This is a question that comes up a lot! And I'm going to throw that question right back at you, because it really depends...on you. There is no magic perfect color, but I’ll go through some guidelines and ways to approach this decision.

First thought, best thought

What is the color you want to paint the front door? What’s the first color that arises right now? Remember: first thought, best thought. Don’t overthink it. It may just be the color that works best for you. 

Mundane matters too

Now think about the color that popped into your consciousness for your door color. Let’s look at this practically. Does it fit with the rest of the house? Colors have countless variations that can probably work with your home, and that’s where a designer can help you to find the option that works best. 

Have fun with it!

But it’s also okay if the color is maybe a little out of place. First of all, it’s just paint - you can always repaint the front door. Second, I'd like to share a story my teachers have told about Professor Lin Yun (founder of BTB Feng Shui). He told one of his clients to paint their whole house exterior purple! Now this is pretty extreme, and this person ended up becoming the talk of the neighborhood, which in turn created a huge business boom. I’m not suggesting you should paint your whole house fluorescent yellow, but you can have fun with the door and remember that painting a front door is not a huge commitment. You can always repaint it!

Try red or black

Red and black painted doors are good basic go-to’s for front door colors in feng shui. Red is auspicious and can attract life energy. Black also absorbs and also brings in positive qi. But this is the “Barnes and Noble” answer!

The mouth of Qi

With all of the above considerations, remember that your front door represents the mouth of qi. This is where energy from the world can enter your home and life. Maybe you do want a door that blends into the rest of your home and looks dignified and subtle. Or maybe you want to attract some energy, in which case a bright red door could look great and do wonders for your opportunities. Now we've come full circle to the first thing I mentioned, which is that the color really depends on you and your life circumstances!

In some areas of the home, there are certainly colors you might want to avoid. All black in any room can make a space feel smaller, and red in a bathroom can make relaxation difficult. But when it comes to the front door, anything is fair game. It's such a small area it can easily be repainted. Put some thought on your decision, and be willing to take a chance on trying a new color!

by Anjie Cho 

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

Power Polish: Featured in GirlsLife

featured this month in GirlsLife by Kelsey Haywood Lucas

I'm so excited to be featured in this month's GirlsLife magazine as Kelsey Haywood Lucas's color expert! 

Seeking a particular type of pick-me-up for the new year? Help is right at your fingertips. Whether you want to kick up your confidence or just bliss out a bit, selecting a smart shade for your mani is the secret to instant feel-good vibes. 

“Color makes a huge impact—it can shift our own emotions and even change the way that others see us. ”
— color expert, Anjie Cho

Yep, your mani is pretty much magic...

Grab a print copy to read the full breakdown of which nail colors correspond with your goals and energy for the new year!

by Anjie Cho