Case Studies
Your Teen Needs To Sleep
Teenagers need every advantage we can give them, and no, I don’t mean the latest cell phone, or laptop. I am referring to setting them up for success in the most basic of ways. If you want your teen to navigate the fast paced world that surrounds him, potentially engulfing him, then give him the lifeline support he needs. Provide him with a space that generates him and allows his potential to shine through. Now let’s look at this young Man ‘Mac’. He had hobbies, knew lots of people, and tried hard at school, but you know what, he was never quite ‘in’. His grades were not what they could be, his tutors tried to teach those math concepts, and he was on the swim team… but the phone didn’t ring with friends and the grades didn’t go up. Sound familiar?
Bedrooms are a place of rest and rejuvenation: the body must be allowed to shut down and sleep. A teenager without sleep is a zombie.. So here we see Mac’s bedroom, it may seem simple, but let me break it down into what it actually represents. The colour is a neutral earth tan, which supports the best star for this period, #8, and Mac is generating off this star each night. He is a Ming Gua #6 and his bed is placed in a direction that allows for great prosperity and respectability, it’s called his ‘Sheng qi ‘ direction (Guess who has his own little business and a very healthy bank account). His bedding is perfect for encouraging full rejuvenation while he sleeps and that dash of red… well you guessed it, it’s supporting that #8 to it’s fullest. A solid headboard completes the bed area and of course a Calabash. His room didn’t need one, there was no sickness energy present: but I always place Calabash’s by children.
It’s very important in bedrooms that you sleep on the correct ‘mountain star’. I simply moved Mac’s bed to another wall, so I could also optimize his best direction. I changed out his blue bedding to the tan and brick red it is today. I tweaked the colour of his walls to strengthen that fabulous #8, and incorporated accents that bridged a few elements to make things smooth. He went from a boy who had B’s in Elementary school, to a young man who holds straight A’s in High school. He is on both principal and honor rolls, has his own mini company, and organizes events for friends almost every weekend. Simple changes, big difference, and it was very easy to do. And yes, I am proud to say he is my son: my very own golden boy.
Feeling Blue..let the sun shine through
A bedroom is a place for relaxation and rejuvenation, so what’s the TV doing in there? Recently I worked in a room that was quite beautiful and looked quite perfect. However, one of the occupants wasn’t sleeping well. OK, now this room didn’t actually have a TV (bravo-and not the TV channel kind) but still had a rather ‘disrupted’ feeling. The owners had recently decorated, and didn’t want to repaint, so taupe it stayed.
This room was creating confusion to the head, and a tendency toward impulsive spending. The marriage was solid, but lack of sleep, and overspending will take a toll on the strongest union. We introduced floor to ceiling blue curtains to ‘cool’ the heat in the room and make a virtual wall behind the bed. Large metallic and white lamps were brought in to encourage the metal element, and ‘Heavenly Water’ prints were added to bring balance and a sense of calm.
Time went by, and as I often do, I checked in with this couple to see how things were going. They were happy, life was good, spending was curbed. But, sleep still evaded the husband. Hmmm, why?
Looking at the room again, I could see that the taupe colour (a strong earth
representation) was encouraging an energy in the room that we didn’t want. A simple colour change to a pale yellow would give us the smooth balance needed.
Persuasion to repaint was the name of the game here, so with paint brush in hand, off I went. Sometimes I have to jump right in to show clients how easy it is to make a change. Luckily for me, I love painting. With the new pale white based yellow, we now have the balance needed for a retreat space where a good night’s sleep is guaranteed. One minor adjustment to soften the headboard for a creative bridge to the Ming Gua’s, and we’re done!
Polka Dots For Sarah
This is a room for an 11 year old girl. She is very artistic and spends most of her time drawing and writing. When I first saw the room, it was creatively painted in lime green and lavender. It looked like a fun room, but rather strong and unsettling. When I examined the stars in the room, I found out why.
I could see this room wasn’t working for Sarah. She was difficult to focus, often anxious, shy and struggling at school. The goal was to make things better for Sarah.
The analysis indicated this was a “hot” room (creates confusion). The answer was to cool this room down with a pale blue paint. We pay attention to what comes in through a window, and here we needed some metal (round shapes). For fun, we made polka dots on the window wall, using a favourite colour (yellow). We even continued them in a unique way across the window, which calms the room nicely. A big comfy chair was placed in the SouthWest corner, to face Sarah in a peaceful direction.
Sarah’s desk was moved and a new one built into the 184 area. This was done to access the “wise and creative” energies beneficial to her. Paired with more metal, in the form of round yellow post it boards, we now have a creative space for Sarah. Storage units were placed on the North wall, to house all the arts and crafts. Round and curvy shapes were used for fun throughout the room.
Sarah now has all B’s on her report card. She has made some wonderful new friends, and happily spends hours at her desk.
When working with children, it is very important to include them in the process. This example is clear of how we use space to our advantage. Our budget was small. This wasn’t a HGTV episode. It was creative use of things already in the home and some new paint. Time was our biggest ally, so we used it well, and made it heaps of fun!
Office On The Move
Recently I visited a local gym to see if better harmony in relationships could be achieved. I could see the people were strong and well suited to their positions. But there was a lack of communication and a feeling of professional disconnect. The key to this business was its relationships. If they were strong, then everything else would be too.
My focus became the main office. The owner did not want to spend time in that room. Why? Once I had her birth date information, it was clear there was no support for her in that room. We needed to find a space that promoted career and relationships. I located an area that offered the support she needed, and made the move. The office was painted a metallic blue/grey to complement and support the stars present. The desk was placed in a direction for career success, and to access the strongest Qi (Sheng Qi)
When placing any member of staff, we must first identify what they need. It is important to set them up for success. By relocating one room, I was able to create a feeling of professional leadership.
The first of many rooms to change, this business has now defined it’s role. Each change has given the owner new strength and purpose. The staff feel connected and included. The owner feels positive and in charge. Business is good!
Baby at home, career on the go
I love to work with young families, and help them define their space. This family were expecting a baby, and understood the changes this new addition would bring. Mom was going to stay with the baby, and continue her career from home. She needed a work space: something she could call her own.
In this home, I could see one of the bedrooms was perfect for a home office. It would give mom the calm space yet career advancement she wanted. This room belonged to a young teenager, so finding a space for him became important too. I could see an undeveloped area in the basement that would make a great room for him, and give him some much needed teenage privacy.
This simple switch gave everyone what they wanted. A functional bright office. A cool private bedroom. With a little work and some paint, two new spaces were created. There was no major renovation here, just a shuffle of furniture, and time.
Sometimes it is that easy. Every home has areas that are beneficial for the people who live there. The trick is to look past what is, and see what could be. That is where I come in. Are you “looking” for a room in your house? Let me look, I bet it’s right there.
