This spring, as the Yin season shifts to Yang season in the Solar calendar on February 4, 2023, favorable changes are to be expected on many different levels. In Feng Shui, there are nine twenty-year time cycles. A predominant energy affects each of those periods. We are nearing the end of cycle eight, which has been strong with male earth influences, and approaching the new cycle of period nine, which starts next year with many different influences, including feminine fire energies. It’s time to let go of the old and welcome new energies and opportunities into your spaces to enhance your environment and life. One of the most effective ways to clear out stagnant energies is cleaning, eliminating clutter, organizing, fixing any broken items or discarding them, and recycling and donating what no longer serves you or feels right. Find a home and meaning for the items you’re keeping and feel your space expanding and changing. Beneficial Feng Shui has a smooth flow of life force energy or Chi in any space, inside or out. For people it creates a feeling of balance, well being and harmony. Prosperity and unexpected opportunities start to show up in good energy flow. The […] Read more!
The most important things to do in Feng Shui for a house or business are cleaning, clutter elimination, organizing and repairing any broken items or parts of your space. Doing so will eliminate the stagnant energy and give room for new energies and opportunities to come into your space and your life, and now’s the time to do it. As we move into spring, in Feng Shui this year, Yang season starts in the solar calendar on February 5, 2022, as the Yin season comes to its end. Favorable Feng Shui in any space has a harmonious flow of chi or life-force energy (invisible but can be felt) that creates harmony, well-being and prosperity for its occupants. The five elements in Feng Shui are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal, which affect the healthy flow of chi. These elements can be enhanced or diminished if there is not enough or if there is too much of the particular energy present. Lo-Shu is a grid (Bagua) divided into nine squares, with one in the center and others to represent cardinal compass directions. Each direction and number is correlated to one of the five elements mentioned above. The Flying Stars method is […] Read more!
It’s that time of the year again in Feng Shui, when seasons and stars shift as Yin season ends and Yang season starts in the solar calendar, in the late evening of February 3, 2021. Hopefully, your spring cleaning, clutter elimination, organizing and repairing any malfunctioning parts of your space have been accomplished by now! And you are ready to welcome fresh energy and changes into your building and therefore into your life. Good Feng Shui in a building has a balanced flow of chi or life force, which creates harmony, well-being and prosperity for its occupants. In Feng Shui, there are five elements – Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal – which affect the healthy flow of chi. The elements can be enhanced if there is not enough of a particular energy present or diminished if there is too much of that energy. Lo-Shu is a grid divided into nine squares, one in the center and others to represent cardinal compass directions. Each direction and number is correlated to one of the five elements mentioned above. The Flying Stars method is used to follow the movement of stars, and for energies for positive and negative, as they change locations […] Read more!
Here at Melbourne’s Finn Design, we seem to be doing bathroom renovations and updates quite often. In this example, the “before” picture shows the original 16-year-old master bathroom vanity with inadequate and ineffectively located lighting, above overly sized cabinets without functionality, and with a cultured marble vanity top. Another challenge posed by the original layout was that the back mirror wall was angled on the right, and the right sink was too close to the wall. There wasn’t enough elbow room, and the person facing the mirror in that location had a distorted view, because the mirror was cut in 45 degrees to follow the back wall. Originally, our repeat client requested only an update to the cabinets, vanity top and plumbing fixtures. However, as often happens when creativity takes over, we came up with three different options, from a modest change to the most functional. Our client chose the third option, with side wall cabinets balancing the back wall angle. These cabinets – with storage, adjustable shelves and electrical outlets inside – now provide functionality for both users. For the left side, we integrated the space and power source for the attached, adjustable magnifying makeup/grooming mirror. Lighting now is […] Read more!
Did you know that licensed interior designers have studied and are tested on codes for safety, health and well-being of the occupants of buildings, as well as requirements for accessibility in ADA (the Americans for Disability Act)? As people age or something happens in their life that changes the requirements for their environment, they may need to renovate and/or move or downsize from their current residence. For example, each time Melbourne’s Finn Design creates a bathroom design, whether new construction, redesign or renovation, licensed interior designer Riitta Ylonen takes into account all the ways the company can make the space more accessible, safer and user-friendly — in addition to satisfying the aesthetic requirements of the clients for years to come. Some design elements we recommend for each shower are: A built-in or folding seat Nice grab bars for safety and support Eliminating the shower curb if possible as in universal design Non-slippery shower floor materials such as smaller tile or mosaic At least one hand-held shower on a slide Integrated niche or niches for shampoos, etc. Adequate lighting and ventilation Those practical features are in addition to pleasing color schemes, accessories and tile designs. Glass shower enclosures can be ordered […] Read more!
Beachy colors and modern style are hot in interior design in 2016, according to Finn Design’s Riitta Ylonen. Soft pink and light serene blue are trendy hues for 2016, says Riitta, a state licensed interior designer and certified Feng Shui consultant with the Melbourne firm. Deeper blues and beachy turquoises are also popping in color schemes this year. Rich beach tones and happy red work well with the still popular neutrals, such as gray and taupe browns. Sunny yellow and vibrant fresh green also play a role. Riitta recommends that people use colors that make them comfortable. Trendy colors make great accents if they aren’t used as principal colors. When it comes to style, chrome and metallics remain strong, now mixed with gold and clear lucite in accent pieces and furniture. Transitional, modern classic style in furnishings and overall design themes is still prevalent. Retro furniture pieces continue to gain in popularity, Riitta says. These are often combined with fresh, bright contemporary fabrics and prints. Finn Design offers a number of services that may be helpful to you and your customers, including full-service interior design, space planning, redesign, custom cabinetry, furniture design and creation, custom upholstery, and transformation of your […] Read more!
It’s time to start spring cleaning if you haven’t started it already. Finn Design’s Riitta Ylonen is a state licensed interior designer and certified Feng Shui consultant, and she has tips to help you make the most of your space and give yourself a fresh start this season. In Feng Shui, it’s important to eliminate clutter to give room for new energy to enter. It’s good to start by removing items that no longer serve you. If there is no meaning or use for them, get rid of them. Also, Riitta says, broken items should be fixed or eliminated. Start from one closet or a cabinet. Clean, reorganize and remove items that gather and hold stagnant energy. From there, it’s good to do a thorough cleaning in the whole room or space. By doing so, the old energy is cleared out, and the new fresh energy has room to step in to invigorate the space to be livelier and more energetic. This kind of thorough spring cleaning will have a direct effect on your well-being. Finn Design offers a number of services that may be helpful to you and your customers, including full-service interior design, space planning, redesign, renovation, and […] Read more!