Showing posts with label Feng Shui. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feng Shui. Show all posts

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Indigo design

Greetings! 

Unfortunately I've had to take some time away from Little Luxuries to focus on my interior design business. Fortunately everything is going wonderfully and I'm ready to get back into blogging! To start fresh and new and to incorporate all my new Feng Shui information with you, I've created a new blog called Indigo Design.

Take a look and please follow!



Thanks,
Lisa






Thursday, September 19, 2013

Feng Shui Books Recommendations

I've been heavily studying Feng Shui under expert Sylvia Watson for just over three months and I can't believe how much I've learned. In addition to the information and principles Sylvia is teaching me, I've also read some amazing books and thought I'd share them with you.



Feng Shui with What You Have 
This book was actually written by Sylvia, along wtih Connie Spruill. It's a great book if you just want to take your current home and decor and easily it adapt it to follow Feng Shui principles. The tips and ideas are easy to do and a lot of fun.

The Western Guide to Feng Shui
Terah Katheryn Collins wrote this interesting book. I received it years ago and it is actually the book that first got me interested in Feng Shui. It's easy to read with great pictures and diagrams that are easy to follow.

Between Heaven and Earth - A Guide To Chinese Medicine
While this book is a little more in depth, I LOVED it. Written by Harriet Beinfield L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., OMD, they explain a lot of the background and help you understand Feng Shui on a deeper level.

Healing Environments
Carol Venolia, the author describes this book as "Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being".  This book has principles that are easily apply and have interesting chapters such as; Light, Color, Sound and Noise and more. 



All books are available through Amazon. Also, check your local bookstore, however, they may be a little more difficult to locate. 

I'd love to hear if you have a fantastic Feng Shui book that you'd recommend! Leave it below in the comments!





Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Problems Associated with Clutter




Feng Shui has always been an interest of mine.  I have read countless books on the subject and decided it was time to take this interest a step further to really be able to use this in my design consultations.  About a month ago I started training under Sylvia Watson, an expert in the field.  I’m currently reading a book she co-authored with Connie Spruill titled Feng Shui With What You Have.  It really is a great book and I encourage you to read it. Check it out at Amazon.com here.





This evening I was reading the chapter Clearing Clutter and was very interested to learn how clutter usually indicates certain problems.  Take a look at the chart below.





Location of Clutter                                                      Could Indicate



Entrance of a home or office                                      A lack of concern about first impressions                                                                                    



Inside a closet                                                             An inability to deal with unfinished business or painful issues



In a kitchen                                                                 Care-taking responsibilities that are overwhelming



Beside your bed                                                          Inability to make effective change in your life; desire to get away



On a desk                                                                    Overextension; frustration; fear of letting go or needing control



In a corner behind a door                                            Stifled feeling, detachment from others



Under a piece of furniture                                           Concern with appearances



In a basement with old collections                              Living in the past; difficulty moving on in life



In the garage                                                              Procrastination; put off dealing with issues or allow what is urgent to become a crisis



All over                                                                      In denial; overwhelmed and angry




Do you happen to have clutter in one of these places?  Hmmmm....makes you think doesn't it?  


Keep watching for a posting on the best ways to clear clutter coming soon!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Kitchen Feng Shui


I'm a big fan of incorporating Feng Shui elements in the home.

Here is a video on Kitchen Feng Shui discussing the basics and the fire/water relationship in the kitchen.






Interested in learning more? 
Here are a couple books that I've read that have been helpful:

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Feng Shui by Lillian Too

The Western Guide to Feng Shui: Room by Room by Terah Kathryn Collins

Feng Shui for Dummies by David Daniel Kennedy & Grandmaster Lin Yun







Monday, January 3, 2011

Falling Water

I've always been a Frank Lloyd Wright fan. I love how he connects the interior of the home with the outdoors. I've visited a few of his homes in the Midwest and I even was able to visit the stunning Falling Water. My in-laws live in Cleveland so while visiting, we took a road trip to see the home in Pennsylvania. It truly is as amazing as it sounds! Here are some of my photos.





Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Color trends

A popular color combination that you'll be seeing is gray and brown. Gray is an elegant and timeless color, brown is natural and earthy. Together they create a soothing ambiance. 




Add white for a crisp look.
Use a shiny material, especially in a powder bath like this.

Use a dark color on the walls, you'll love it.
Use different shades of grays and brown and patterns to create  interest.


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Recently read....

I have found Kelly Cutrone the founder of People's Revolution interesting and saw her book while at the bookstore recently. This New York Times Bestseller is called "If You Have To Cry Go Outside". It's by Kelly Cutrone along with Meredith Bryan. 

If you know anything about Kelly, you know she's one tough cookie and she's certainly not into sugar coating things. She wrote about her personal experiences along with advice about how to really be a go-getter without anyone or anything holding you back. 

While it didn't flow the best, the book was overall pretty good. I really felt a few areas of this book spoke to me. Being a designer, you have to put so much of yourself out there for criticism, similar to the fashion industry. You're showing off your thoughts, ideas and style and have to really stand behind it. Everyone has their own opinion and not everyone is going to love your interior. You have to just know that it looks fab and believe in yourself.

I purchased my book at Borders however it's also available at Amazon.com

Monday, November 8, 2010

Holiday decor for your tree

I am a big fan of themed Christmas trees. It's fun to change your theme every year or if you're able to have multiple trees in your home, different trees could have different themes. I'm getting ready to do some holiday decorating for clients and thought I'd share some of my favorite themes for this year. Everything you see here is readily available at my favorite stores: Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Create and Barrel.



Black & White
Use all black and white decor from bulbs to garland. Accent with strands of black beads and you must use these fabulous birds below!




Safari
Safari prints are hot and only getting more popular. Be a step ahead with a safari themed tree. Any animal print will work.



Peacock
Peacock is also really hot now! These decorations are great for bringing gorgeous color to your tree. Don't forget to find some individual peacock feathers to add to your tree.




Vintage
Of course, we can't forget a vintage or antique themed tree. Ask your older family members for some of their old decorations or check out an antique store. If you don't want to go to the trouble, just head to the store for some of these great pieces below.


Chiasso

Do you love a modern, clean lined look? Chiasso is full of unique, statement pieces for your home. You can find everything from decorative accessories to lighting and even holiday decor.
This Annex Cube ottoman measures 6'5" x 5'5" and is $248. What a cool piece.

These Rolo Bookends are $48. They'd make a great gift.

Chiasso has great rugs. This Sprout Rug comes in a variety of sizes and starts at $298.

This unique Meadow Sculpture is $68.

 Check out the Chiasso website here. If you're a fan of modern design, its just for you!

Click here if you'd like to order their catalog. 







Thursday, October 28, 2010

Color and Design Forecast

I recently attended a color and design forecast for 2011. It was very interesting and also inspiring! I thought I'd share a couple of the trends that were mentioned.

Flying Creatures - I've written about birds and owls being popular already but they're going to get even more popular. Basically any flying creature will be big. I like this trend, like I've said before....I'll be happy as long as monkeys don't come back.

Graffiti - I'm just starting to see this trend in stores. Basically the raw look of graffiti will be big in fabrics, art and more. This is fun and unique. I think it will be fun to add something like this to a more traditional room interior to add interest.

Vintage - Vintage is already a huge trend. It's great that people actually appreciate antiques. Just because its old doesn't mean it needs to be replaced. I love to think of the story behind some amazing pieces.

Now get creative and start thinking about some of these trends during your next home interior project.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Need design help?

Do you need help with room decor? Are you struggling with paint colors? Maybe you'd just like some holiday decor advice.

Whatever it is, let me know. Send me your questions, I'd love to help you out.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Looking for some fabulous new furniture? 


The KDR Designer Showroom in St. Louis is having their Semi-Annual Clearance Sale.

Save up to 70% on the floor samples October 21st through 24th.

Contact me if you'd like to set up an appointment to see whats available.

I always recommend painting a room. It can make a huge change with minimal cost. Painting doesn't have to be a chore, make it fun! Get creative with color combinations or techniques. I love painting accent walls. It's an easy way to add a bold splash of color for someone not sure they want to commit to an entire room of it. Here are some fun accents of color. 





Want more of an impact?


It's not uncommon to see vertical stripes but check out these horizontal stripes! It really makes a bold statement.

If you have a decorative nook or space, go ahead add a touch of color to draw your eye there. Look at this ceiling, notice how much more dramatic it is with the accent of color? If it were white like the rest of the ceiling, you'd hardly notice it. 


Be brave and go for the color!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Fall Centerpieces

Need some inspiration for Fall centerpieces?

Get creative! Use varying sizes of pumpkins and gourds or just take a walk and bring home some gorgeous, colorful leaves.






Friday, October 8, 2010

Bedding and Accessories

Are you looking for some unique bedding and accessories? Want to find something no one else will have? Check out the Garnet Hill website. There are luxurious sheet sets, duvets, pillows, rugs and more. To shop the site, click here.





Thursday, October 7, 2010

Take advantage of the amazing sale at Arhaus! 

They have stunning furniture and accessories that you can't find anywhere else. Visit the store in Brentwood Saturday through Monday to take advantage of 20% to 60% off.

Monday, October 4, 2010


 I previously wrote about decorative birds, well another popular trend is owls. When you think of an owl, you think of the wise old owl. This link goes back as far a ancient Greece when Athena the goddess of wisdom had the owl as a symbol. 
The owl trend is fairly new and I expect to see them around throughout winter. You can find owls in everything from home decor to children's bedding. Here are some great pieces from Pier 1, Amazon.com and Etsy.com