Cozy Up to Autumn: 6 Decorating Tips

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

The change in seasons is Mother Nature’s cue to shuffle up some of her decorating choices. As we move through autumn, the lush green and sunny colors associated with summer are replaced by the sunset hues of fall. Scarlet, gold and rich oranges transition into Mother Nature’s palette, and it’s beautiful. Follow her lead and bring some of autumn’s best decorating choices indoors with these tips. 

Bring the outside in

Gourds, small pumpkins and autumnal plants are natural outdoor decorating elements. They are great additions indoors, too. Incorporate some smaller gourds into your dining room centerpiece. Another great way to pull the outdoors in is to fill flower pots with moss, grasses and twigs. 

Rotate accessories

Swap out the set of throw pillows on your sofa for pillows that are rich, deep crimson or a spicy pumpkin. Replace the art on your walls with nature-themed pictures and pieces that incorporate autumn’s hues. 

Remember the details

Take a good look at the less noticeable components of your décor. Small changes to these pieces can make a big impact. Start with a little thing like wrapping jute or rope around a favorite candle. Swap out the flowers in that vase on your bookcase for dried, faded hydrangea. Think subtle. Think autumn. And have fun!

Savor the scents

Nothing says fall more than the tantalizing scents of apple pie and crisp fallen leaves. Both of these scents, and a host of other seasonal ones, can be found in candles or wax burners. Whether subtle or more pronounced, the scents of autumn wafting from melting wax will set you in an autumn state of mind. If candles aren’t your thing, add cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg to a pot of boiling water for the same effect.

Think cozy

The air outside is getting crisp. The indoors should complement it with a more cozy, inviting warmth. Drape soft texture blankets and quilts in fall colors over the back of your favorite seat and at the foot of your bed. Rotate out your summer friendly area rugs for something plush, warm and autumnal. Have a fireplace? Create an intimate seating area near it. Make sure this nook has a small table for steaming cups of cocoa, belly-warming spiced cider or a mug of Stiggly Holistic's fire water

Check the lights

The sun will be setting earlier each passing day as we march on toward winter. Now is a good time to make sure you’ve got the proper light fixture in each room. Is your favorite reading nook lit well enough to read while you’re cozied up with a warm throw? Is the light in your bedroom too bright to help you transition to sleep at the end of the day? Replace bulbs, switch around light fixtures and add dimmer switches where appropriate.

by Anjie Cho


If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

6 Easy Feng Shui Fixes to Create Prosperity

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

Aside from help in the romance department, feng shui for prosperity and abundance is one of the most popular requests I get. We all want love and stability! Fortunately, there are many easy adjustments that can encourage prosperity and open your life to abundance. Here are some of my favorites!

Put Your Furniture in Command

It's important that all your major furniture pieces are in the commanding position, as this symbolically places you in control of your life. This is especially important for your desk, where you earn your financial stability, and your stove, where you nourish yourself. If it's not possible to put these directly in the commanding position, add mirrors to make the doors in your space visible from these positions. 

Add a Plant (Or Plants) to Your Prosperity Corner

On the feng shui bagua map, the back left corner of your space represents abundance, wealth and prosperity. Adding a plant to this space promotes growth and prosperity in addition to bringing a beautiful touch of nature inside. Check the blog for plant recommendations or opt for three or nine bamboo stalks to really amp up your abundance!

Set Up Some Mirrors

Mirrors are a common adjustment in feng shui and they work well for encouraging prosperity. To increase your earning ability and bring prosperity, add a small, round mirror above your workspace to enhance focus and clarity while you work. You can also add a mirror behind your stove, as burners represent prosperity as well, and mirroring them symbolically multiplies them in number! 

Add Citrine

Back to the Abundance area of the bagua map, adding citrine here can also stimulate abundance and prosperity. As with any feng shui adjustments, you can lay the bagua on your bedroom, office, desk or entire space to effectively make this adjustment, or opt for three different placements (bedroom, home and desk) to triple your prosperity!

Add Water to Your Entry

Water represents the flow of cash and wealth into your space, so adding a water element to the entry of your home is a great way to increase prosperity. Just be sure that any water element with actual flowing water directs into your home, not out! 

Carry a Chinese Astrological Charm

In Chinese New Year and astrology, each year honors a different animal. Each of those animals has a best friend in the zodiac animal kingdom. If you're looking for prosperity, check out the current year's animal, then carry a feng shui charm of that animal's best friend for protection and luck. This year's best friend is the Pig!

There are numerous feng shui adjustments to increase prosperity and abundance. The more in depth you get with a feng shui practitioner, the more personal these cures will get, but these basic remedies can certainly work wonders as well! We'd love to hear about your adjustments from the blog, so please send photos or stories about how feng shui is improving your life!

by Anjie Cho


If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Common Misconceptions about Feng Shui and Plants

Photo by Prudence Earl on Unsplash

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about feng shui and plants. I also get a lot of questions about how to work with plants in the home, so I wanted to share my perspective and help clear up some of the confusion around three common misconceptions that I hear a lot:

MISCONCEPTION #1: It's not good to have plants in the bedroom because they release a lot of CO2 at night.

Plants do release CO2 at night, but the amount is trivial, and many plants also continue to produce oxygen at night as well. If you're worried about the air in your bedroom getting stale, try opening some windows.

MISCONCEPTION #2: Plants in the bedroom are disruptive.

Plants have a special type of qi (life force energy) that is about growth and vital energy. They encourage us to move onwards and upwards. Your bedroom represents you, so any feng shui changes you make here can have a big impact. Plants in the bedroom might be just what you need, especially if you're feeling a little stuck or lethargic. If you're worried about having plants in your bedroom, try taking them out for a few days and see how you feel. If you notice that you sleep better without the plants, honor that, but in the school of feng shui that I practice and teach (BTB feng shui) there's nothing wrong with having plants in the bedroom.

MISCONCEPTION #3: Spiky plants are always bad feng shui.

If you're going out to get a new plant for a feng shui adjustment, something with soft, rounded leaves is generally best. However, if you have a spiky or thorny plant that you love, don't throw it out! Plants are living beings, so we'd recommend treating them with love. Also, not everything in your home needs to be a feng shui adjustment.

I hope these guidelines are helpful as you consider plants for your space! Keep in mind that there are no absolute rules in BTB feng shui. My teachers taught me that the best feng shui solution for you depends on your unique circumstances…and if you're feeling confused, it's always a good idea to work one-on-one with a practitioner.

by Anjie Cho


If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

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