My Favorite Things: 5 Home Accessories for Summer

Welcome to My Favorite Things! Each month, we highlight products to help you create a holistic lifestyle that inspires and nurtures you, so that you can be happier and feel supported.

Last week was the summer solstice, the first day of the warm season in the northern hemisphere. The summer is associated with the element of fire and the Recognition area of the bagua. As with each season, there are ways to balance out your holistic space using design features and feng shui philosophy. These are some of my favorite ways to welcome summer into your space!

Coyuchi Relaxed Linen

I love warm, cozy sheets and bedding during the cold winter, but when summer arrives, it's time to pack those thick blankets up and switch to something a little cooler!

I love these Coyuchi linen sheets. Linen is a wonderful option for summer - it helps keep cool and wicks away any sweat. These are available in a variety of neutral colors that will match any holistic bedroom! Try Alpine White, Fog or Storm for more Metal, Misty Ocean for more Wood or Undyed for more Earth. 

Available at: Coyuchi

Organic Buckwheat Pillow

In our list of organic pillow options, buckwheat is my favorite and is amazing for summer. Buckwheat pillows are great for eliminating back and neck pain as well as snoring. They are known for incredible air circulation and don't hold any heat, which is perfect for the hot season. 

My mom bought me a buckwheat pillow in college, and it's still my favorite pillow. I've dragged it around everywhere with me, and now my husband even has one too! It's worth noting that these pillows can be a bit loud due to the filling, so be sure to choose a pillow with an outer covering to muffle the sound, like these organic cotton options! 

Available at: CozyPure

no. 3 Space Mist

One of my favorite ways to welcome any new season is with a space clearing ritual. There are many ways to do this, including the BTB orange peel method, palo santo and more, but one of my favorites for summer is the Holistic Spaces sage spray!

Sage is known for its healing and space clearing properties, and this mist makes it portable so that you can clear your home, car, office or any areas you travel to without causing an issue with smoke alarms. It's perfect for hotel rooms or guest rooms and is one of our most popular apothecary items, so it sells out very fast!

Available at: Holistic Spaces

Folding Hand Fan

Folding fans serve a dual purpose as symbolic decor and an energy-efficient, no-cost cooling method. I was recently given my Shambhala name, which relates to fans, and in my studies, I found fans can be metaphorical in many ways. 

They represent femininity, but they can also be seen as swordlike to cut through difficulties and were actually used as weapons in some Asian countries. Fans even have their own secret language in China and the Victorian era, when women were almost forbidden from speaking their minds. I recently purchased a white fan with gold trim from DengraDesigns, and I absolutely love it!

Available at: DengraDesigns

Aloe Vera

I'm always a fan of adding more greenery to a space, and aloe vera is a great addition for summer! Traditionally, spiky plants or plants with pointy leaves are not good feng shui, but there are exceptions. 

Adding aloe vera to your space as a healing tool, not as a feng shui adjustment, can be a wonderful move for summer. Aloe vera is widely known for its healing properties, especially with regards to sunburns! This is also a great opportunity to add some water colors to combat the fiery summer element. Opt for a black or dark blue pot to cool off your space!

Available at: CB2

Q&A Sunday: Can a Mirror Face a Window?

I wanted to verify something with you if you're willing. Is it bad placement to have a mirror face a window? Thank you!

Lisa R., NYC

 

Hi Lisa

Thanks for writing in, and what a great question! Mirrors are used a lot in feng shui, and there’s often much confusion as to how to use them. In this case, no it is not “bad” or unfavorable to have a mirror face a window. In fact, it can be an auspicious placement.

In general, mirrors can symbolize and bring in water energy in areas of your spaces that lack water. An example would be if you have a fireplace (fire energy) in the Abundance (earth) area. Adding a mirror is one of the numerous ways to add water energy to tone down the fire. 

Another use for mirrors is that they can expand, extend space. For instance, if you have a toilet or bathroom in an inauspicious location such as the Fame gua (fire), then you can place a mirror on the outside of the door so that the bathroom energetically “disappears”. The reflection in the mirror expands or extends what’s reflected into the Fame area where the toilet sits.

Another example that answers your question specifically is an adjustment I personally have in my office. I have a convex mirror above the Abundance area of my desk. It reflects the image of my window, where there is a view of the East River. I have the mirror specifically reflecting the window and image of water, to bring that water (Wealth & Abundance) energy across the Knowledge, New Beginnings and Abundance areas of my desk. This brings in so much auspicious qi for my business. I also have something similar in the kitchen, where a convex mirror reflects the window and view of water over my stove. The stove represents wealth so this increases that energy of prosperity, as well as adjusting my stove location!

So, no it's not "bad" for a mirror to face a window! 

As in many cases with feng shui, the adjustment really just depends on the person and situation. If the circumstances mentioned above are similar to yours, the choice to face a mirror towards a window may well be auspicious, but if you aren't sure or have doubts, feel free to follow up or book a 15-minute consultation call!

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui and Interior Design

I've been receiving your newsletters and am an interior design student currently and wanting to learn more about feng shui. I'm half Asian and have basic understanding having grown up with the Korean tradition, but I would like to know more about about feng shui that I wish to apply to my career as a sustainable interior designer. Although there is a plethora of books and references out there, I wondered if you might be able to give me your advice on how or where I can go to learn more? I really appreciate any advice you could offer!

Emma B., Sydney, Australia

 

Hi Emma,

Thanks so much for reading my newsletters and for your question. We actually just answered one similar to this a few weeks ago. Here’s a link to it. But i’ll add some more information based on your specific request.

Since you’re half Korean, you may want to reach out to your family members to see if there are any connections to your ancestry there. Korea has their own form of feng shui called Pungsu-jiri. Most cultures have some form of “geomancy” — a way of looking at the environment and our relationship to it. By definition, geomancy is a way of divination through signs from nature, which is essentially how the art of feng shui works. You might have interest in learning more about Korean feng shui.

There are definitely many books out there, and as I’ve mentioned before, because there are so many schools of feng shui, it can be confusing, and the information may be conflicting. If you really want to incorporate this into your career, I suggest you look for a teacher locally. But if you want to just tip your toe in, my top books to recommend are:

Modern Book of Feng Shui - Steven Post

108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces - Anjie Cho

ALL BTB feng shui books

I, of course, more deeply recommend the BTB Masters program, which currently offers a few online courses and is expanding further, and fengshuistoryboard.com, which is currently online. Each of these programs is taught by BTB feng shui masters, including some of my mentors and fellow feng shui students. 

If you are genuinely interested in incorporating the philosophy of feng shui into your sustainable design, I highly recommend finding a mentor or teacher and practicing hands-on learning and certification, as this will help you bring meaningful adjustments to your design work. Good luck in your studies! 

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!