eHow.com Video: Chinese Home Decorations

Anjie Cho August 20, 2014

Chinese home decorations bring meaning and symbolism to a space. Coins, zodiac animals and lucky bamboo offer wealth, harmony, growth and more. Add oranges for positive energy.

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Video Transcript:

I'm Anjie Cho, and today I'm sharing with you the meanings behind using Chinese decorations in your home.

First are the ten Chinese coins of the Ching Dynasty. These are reproductions of coins from the Ching Dynasty representing the ten emperors from that time period. The coins represent abundance of wealth and power. It's beneficial to put these in an area that's easily seen from the entry. It can bring you wealth and money from an upright and legitimate source.

Another Chinese home decoration is the 12 zodiac animals. This is a representation of all 12 animals together on a cord. Each year is represented by a different animal and they are all included here, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Each animal represents an archetype. This decoration combines all 12 of the zodiac animals to represent harmony. This decoration is beneficial to put in the center of a home to represent harmony with all the members of the family.

The third Chinese home decoration is lucky bamboo. Bamboo is abundant in Asia and grows very quickly. It represents upright and honest growth as well as flexibility and adaptability. The bamboo plant does not flower or fruit. Its life span is long but simple. It's also hollow which represents an empty heart of humbleness. Coincidentally in Western culture, it's a symbol for the green sustainability movement.

In Feng Shui lucky bamboo is best when it's straight and not curly or twisted which can represent the opposite of upright and positive growth. Lucky bamboo represents a wood element of kindness, flexibility and healing growth.

Plants also add life energy to a space. Lucky bamboo is great because they can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions and in water or in soil and it's very easy to find. If the green starts to fade into yellow, it probably needs a little bit more light. Just so you know the lucky bamboo you will often find is technically not bamboo but symbolically the plant works the same way.

Finally, the last Chinese home decoration I will talk about is a bowl of oranges. In feng shui, oranges and orange peels contribute positive, fresh and brightening energy our inner and outer environments. Oranges are very auspicious and lucky in Chinese culture. You can always find oranges as decorations at any Chinese festivity. The oranges transform the home with vibrant, life-giving positive energy.

An easy way to incorporate oranges as a home decoration is to get a lovely Asian style bowl like this one, a green, black or white bowl complements the color of oranges very well. In Feng Shui a bowl of fresh oranges adds happiness and brightness to any room.

I'm Anjie Cho, Feng Shui designer with Anjie Cho Architect and founder of Holistic Spaces and today I shared with you the meanings and applications for Chinese home decorations.

by Anjie Cho

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Bring a bit of feng shui into your home

Anjie Cho July 9, 2014

featured last month on SheKnows.com, article by Sherri Kuhn

The entryway to your home sets the tone for your whole living space, but what about the effect it has on your career success? Feng shui suggests that black and other dark colors have an impact on your success. We spoke with feng shui experts to find out how we can incorporate these concepts into our own homes — and boost our careers at the same time.

How does feng shui relate to your career?

The Kan Gua is located near the front entry, and is the career area of a home. "The colors of the Kan Gua are black, navy blue and dark blue," says Diana Hathaway Timmons, color expert at About.com, interior designer and author of Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen. "Decorating with these colors in the Kan Gua of your home can enhance career opportunities." She stresses that while using these colors is beneficial, it is important to approach it in a balanced way, or it will create the opposite effect. "Feng shui is all about balance, and that includes the use of colors," she adds. "Using large amounts of dark color in the room traps the chi (energy) and will defeat the purpose of using color as a career enhancement."

Your face to the world

Visualize the front entry to your home, which is what people see first when they approach your home or enter it. "The entry and front door of your home represent your face to the world, how the world sees you and how easily opportunities can come to you," says Anjie Cho, registered New York State architect and feng shui interior designer. "The entry is also related to your path in life as well as the season and energy of winter," Cho adds. "Using black to emphasize water and career will increase your career success. The colors black and dark blue, the number one, wavy shapes and the element of water symbolize this area."

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by Anjie Cho

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eHow.com Video: How to Decorate A Room With Water Fountains and Plants

Anjie Cho July 2, 2014

Water fountains, available in a variety of styles and sizes, add beauty and harmony to a space while improving air quality and mood. Pair with plants for an ideal design.

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Video Transcript:

Hi, my name is Anjie Cho, and I would like to share with you tips on how to decorate a room with water fountains and plants. Since I’m a feng shui designer, I will also share with you the feng shui applications and meanings.

Water fountains are a great way to add beauty, sound, and humidity for a tranquil and harmonious space. The soothing sounds of water trickling can relax your mind and lower stress levels. The circulating water also releases negative ions which help to purify the air, just like with waterfalls and the ocean. The negative ions produced by the circulating water improve mood and feelings of well-being. The water also creates humidity that moistens the air for humans and for plants – it’s a natural humidifier.

There are different types of fountains that you can have in your home. There are floor fountains that are often tall – they sit on the floor. They are nice to locate next to a wall. There’s also wall-mounted fountains that you can hang on the wall. Be sure to get them installed by a professional with the correct tools and wall anchors, because the wall-mounted fountains can be really heavy.

What I have here is a tabletop fountain. It’s the smallest and easiest way to incorporate a fountain into a room. The tabletop fountains fit easily on a shelf, desk, side table, or anything with a horizontal surface near an electrical outlet. This one is made with resin, stones, and a black metal base. It’s in the shape of a lotus flower, which is a metaphor of beauty coming forth from any situation.

There’s also fountains made with different materials, such as stainless steel and copper. Stone and ceramics are also frequently found. And, sometimes they’re made of resin like this one, that it could be made to simulate different things like natural stone. The style depends upon the décor of your home. Some have lighting, others do not.

In feng shui, water fountains add the element of water to a space, which represents wealth, abundance, and cash flow. An ideal location is near an entry, which is said to stimulate cash to flow into your home from the outside. If used in this manner, it’s better to have a fountain that has a water flow up, and then down. If it’s directional, the flow should be into the home. That way, the wealth flows into your space and not out of your space.

Be sure to maintain them well – nothing’s worse than a fountain with funky water, algae, and slime. Many manufacturers suggest that you use only distilled water. Most tap water has minerals in it that will develop deposits on your fountain and clog the pump. If they do develop, scrub them as soon as they show up so they don’t become permanent. You can also add hydrogen peroxide to the water to inhibit the growth of algae, slime, and other microorganisms. It will keep everything running smoothly. Also, placing the fountain away from sunlight helps prevent algae growth. Never let the pump run dry, so be sure to check the water levels regularly. If it does run dry, it will shorten the life of the pump.

Finally, plants pair perfectly with fountains. The fountain provides negative ions, and the plants provide oxygen. The larger fountains can house plants within them. If you have a small fountain like this, it’s really beautiful to surround it with potted plants, and you can have stands to create a tiered effect.

I’m Anjie Cho, feng shui interior architect with Anjie Cho Architect, and founder of Holistic Spaces. And, this is has been how to decorate your room with water fountains and plants.

by Anjie Cho