love note from Anjie - oct 29. 2022

Anjie Cho October 29, 2022

dear friends:

good morning, it's a brisk autumn day in New York City.

still dark outside. and felt compelled to share a bit more, and maybe in the future.

I was on retreat in france for over two week. It was refreshing, and nourishing. we ended each day with an evening “gatha” from Zen Mountain Monastery:

“Let me respectfully remind you,
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us should strive to awaken…
Awaken… take heed!
Do not squander your life!”

— Evening Gatha - Zen Mountain Monastery

Listen

it's helpful to remember how precious each of our humans lives really truly are. and each of you reading this newsletter is precious to me.

I've been in the final stages of completing my new book Mindful Homes! it's been an enriching experience. I'm going through the layouts now with my publisher, finalizing images, and the last few pages like acknowledgements and introductions. Yes funny how the introduction comes last, it's all a cycle.

I cannot wait to share it with all of you, it's really my heart that I'm sharing. I am in tears everytime I read through it (which is often for this whole publishing process). Working on the last bits of it this weekend!

open for enrollment five days only! Nov 4-8

includes free access to our annual Lunar New Year Workshop:

Welcome the Water Rabbit 2023 ($99 value)

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check out our

9 FENG SHUI BAGUA NATURAL CRYSTAL SET

Set of nine tumbled semi-precious gemstones corresponding to each Feng Shui Bagua Area

Watch my recent instagram reel where I chat about how to use the amethyst crystal to activate the wealth area of your desk for more abundance!

BUY THE BAGUA KIT

And… our new 2023 lunar new year amulet charms are now available for purchase! I will also make some new reels on instagram and discuss each animal as we get closer to Lunar New Year.

I also know many of you have been following me for years, and would like to know how to ceremonially say goodbye to the year of the Tiger amulet. I will do that soon on instagram and send a link in this newsletter. Or just follow me on instagram. it's basically the only social media I use.

BUY THE 2023 AMULET CHARM

happy autumn to each of you. and please take care of your precious selves.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Anjie

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Hitting the “Wow” Factor: Decorating a Shelf

Anjie Cho October 26, 2022

Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

I’ll let you in on a little decorating secret. The difference between a well-designed room and a “WOW!” designed room lies in the details. After you’ve picked out the right wall color and cozied up to your new favorite furniture, it’s time to pull together the finishing touches, like decorating a set of shelves. Go for the “wow!” by following these five tips.

Balance

Even voracious readers need bookshelves with more than just books. If books are a component of your shelving plans, create pockets of reading material balanced between decorative items such as framed photos, small sculptures and other collectibles. Intersperse your favorite reads with your decorative elements. The same applies to the functional shelving dedicated to your crafting supplies, your bathroom, kitchen and more!

Group sets of like items with other functional or decorative elements between them. In a bathroom, place a basket with your make-up between two different sets of towels. In the craft room, organize your fabric in complimentary tones, for example, and pepper baskets of sewing supplies, favorite photos and other trinkets in between the stacks. Try out different combinations!

Embrace Empty Space

A shelf stuffed full can crowd and overwhelm your space. Leave some wiggle room and blank spots. This isn’t about gaping holes. It can be more subtle than that. For example, try stacking taller books on their sides instead of placing them in the shelf upright. Leave space between the top of the stack and the shelf above it. Don’t wedge your items in tightly together. Leave small gaps to give a little breathing room and a peek at the back of your shelf unit or wall.

Jazz Up The Background

The oft ignored back panel of a book case is a canvas waiting to bring your space to life! Paint the inside of a bookcase a few shades darker than your wall color. Alternatively, go for a complementary paint color, decorative patterned paper or mirrors. Get creative. If you’re really up for something different, try alternating two complementary colors or a solid and a simple pattern behind every other shelf.

Get Eye Level

Grab a seat in the room and take a good look at which shelf falls at eye level. This should be your focal point. Use that shelf to feature your photos, artwork or other favorite elements. Then sit back and enjoy the view.

Layer It Up

You can create the illusion of deeper shelves by layering items. Push a grouping of books toward the back and place a small piece of art in front of them. Use natural items like coral and stones in front of framed and matted prints. The one-two (or three!) punch of elements will trick the eye into seeing a space with more depth than the shelf really has.

by Anjie Cho

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

7 Feng Shui Bedroom Design Ideas to Try This Weekend

Guest User October 19, 2022

Anjie Cho was featured on Architectural Digest

Creating a feng shui bedroom may be a mysterious and ancient approach to decorating, but it’s actually an intuitive and intentional use of space. Here, seven easy-to-implement feng shui elements to bring calming energy into your bedroom.

1. Anchor Your Bed

Since the bed is the most important element in the room, you’ll want to situate it in the command position—that is, a place where you can see the door (but aren’t in the direct line of it), with a solid wall behind it. Another feng shui bedroom tip is to make sure that your bed is anchored by a headboard, advises Anjie Cho, interior architect and feng shui designer in New York. “A headboard represents stability. You want a headboard that is solid without any perforations, like bars, which could represent imprisonment—in a relationship or with yourself.”

.…read full article