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Monthly Archives: August 2010

Interior Design Bedrooms - A Load of Old Feng shui - Part 2

So you fancy filling your bedroom with supercharged sexual energy, gleaned from millennia of Chinese feng shui? Well of course you do - it's what we promised at the end of our last blog! And when it comes to a little fun in the bedroom you can't knock our oriental feng shui-friendly friends. Most populous place on the planet? China! Home of feng shui? China! You can't knock logic like that on the decorating-to-nooky index.

Feng shui is intimately related to the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. It's very clear on the subject of our bodies and physical love - Tao thinks they rock! Especially if you're a chick. Blokes - well let's try and be a little open minded as we proceed.

Taoism's all in favour of physical, bodily sex being a right good thing. Amen to that. Unfortunately fellas, Tao says we should try and keep up with the ladies up until that vital, final step, whereas women folk are encouraged to go all the way and scream with delight until the cows come to your newly-decorated home. Apparently this is because it's denial of that final moment that increases male chi energy, whereas it's female self indulgence that increases chi energy for her! One asks: was Tao a chick? Bet that's the first time you've asked that question before redecorating!

Last blog we mentioned red brings good chi (good luck), so paint the front door red. Behind that red door clutter should be banished - chi abhors clutter! Like the average fella hates holding it all in while his partner just keeps on growing her sexual energy - not that I'm bitter.

Now the chi's flowing (thanks red door!), better give it some reason to tarry a while. Try an aquarium - most efficacious here as there's nothing good 'chi' enjoys more than a frolic in the water with some brightly coloured fish. No room or inclination for aquariums? Try pictures with a water theme instead.

Moving quickly to the bedroom, feng shui advice can seem alien to the western mind. First thing in the feng shui manual is get rid of the TV. Clever of our Chinese friends to have invented the goggle box over a millennia ago. Perhaps not so clever of them to overlook the merits of a good DVD (say one involving a plumber with an unfeasibly large wrench and a pretty young lady in need of his services). Still, each to his own.

In any case, if you must have a TV in the bedroom, feng shui has the answer: cover it in a plastic cloth! Now we've checked and re-checked but feng shui is most emphatic. The cover for your TV must be plastic. As we're at a complete loss about this second anachronism... let's move on and say no more about it.

One more little thing: no mirrors on the walls at bed height. Apparently they invite third parties into a relationship which can cause trouble. In most cases.... Still, look on the bright side; we've seen nothing banning mirrors on the ceiling which is good because Frank, one of our craftsmen is an expert....  Anyway, onward feng shui-stylee!

Light and colour are essential for sensuality. One item feng shui highly advises is our old friend the dimmer switch (use one over a 1000 years old with caution). However, most favoured of all are candles. So while you can't watch Madonna doing her stuff with Kevin Bacon in Body of Evidence on DVD, you can copy her hot candle wax foreplay from the film right in your bedroom.

For the feng shui bedroom we want a balance between the super sensual and, if Sting's 8-hour tantrics are on the menu, invigorating rest (oxygen tent and paramedics optional). Strangely plants are frowned upon in anything but large bedrooms, where they should be placed by a window.

Colours are key for creating that mix of sexiness and relaxation. They divide into 'ying' (cool colours) and 'yang' (warm ones). For example, blue is calming and restful as are purple, green, silver and black (go you Goths!). Alternatively white, yellow and red are all considered 'yang' or warm colours, along with lavender, gold and orange. Creating this balance might sound difficult but there's a myriad of colours that are either ying (cool) or yang (warm) from which to choose from.

Prints or paintings for the bedroom should represent what you'd like to happen in your life. Fortunately the world of art provides a plethora of images which, to the professional eye, would never be considered, pornography. Alternatively, utter filth can often be passed off as work that's 'really happening' in the art world, although most of us couldn't tell the difference. Take an unmade bed. Saatchi did for thousands. An unmade bed, I ask you!

Your bed should be easily accessible from both sides but shouldn't be in a direct line with a door through which chi can easily depart. Nor should it be scruffy, unkempt and worth thousands on the art market like Ms Emin's. Finally, all doors in the bedroom should be closed to keep all the chi in this room of sensual pleasure.

You don't have to go all 'Grasshopper' to have fun giving your home a feng shui theme. This is especially true in the bedroom. Try imagining a little feng shui makeover with your lover, a few colour swatches and maybe a bottle of wine, then see what works!

DU.IT can offer interior design services, including feng shui, for those wishing to use them - just DU.IT