Father's Day and Feng Shui

Last month we celebrated Mother's Day with a selection of meaningful flowers. This Sunday, it's time to celebrate our fathers too! Like Mother's Day, Father's Day is a nationally celebrated holiday in America, but not many of us know the history of this day of celebration.

Father's Day was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to honor her mother, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of Mother's Day as a holiday. Similarly, West Virginian, Grace Golden Clayton suggested a day to honor fathers as she grieved for her own father and 362 men killed in a nearby mining accident. 

The very first Father's Day sermon was held in West Virginia, but because of overshadowing events like Independence Day, the celebration did not move outside one small town. In 1910, though, Arkansan, Sonora Smart Dodd, living in Spokane, Washington, inspired also by Anna Jarvis's Mother's Day, urged her community to honor fathers on a specific day in June. Though officials weren't able to make the celebration happen until July 19, it was the first statewide observance, and ultimately, along with the efforts of many to bring the tradition to life, led to President Nixon signing Father's Day in as an official holiday in 1972. 

In terms of feng shui, the Father corresponds to the Benefactors area of the bagua map. The Benefactors area is located at the bottom right corner and is related to the color grey, yang metal energy and helpful people. This makes sense, since our fathers are some of the most important, helpful benefactors in our lives! 

Many of us no longer live with our fathers, but we can still honor them and welcome them in our lives with a very easy feng shui placement. You can honor your father and remember the support and help he provides you by adding something that represents him in the Benefactors area of your space. This item can be something of your father's, something he gave you or something that symbolizes him. Be sure to move this item to your Benefactors area with positive intention and a deep gratitude for this supportive person. 

I hope you all enjoy Father's Day this year and spend some quality time with the first man in your life! 

by Anjie Cho

The Sticky Secret to Painting Straight, Even Edges

You’ve spent time looking at paint swatches. You’ve hung your homemade poster board-sized samples on the wall, and then moved them to check your hue from various angles. You’ve spackled, sanded, and repaired. You’re armed with rollers and brushes and you’re ready to give your room new life with a fresh coat of paint. Right? Wait. There’s one more thing you need to do to paint like a pro: Tape. 

Let’s talk about this painter’s staple for a moment. A bit of magic, tape will ensure you get paint where you want it and not where you don’t. If you want clean, straight lines, you need to tape off your borders before you get started. 

The right stuff

Don’t rack your brain trying to figure out what you have at home already that might sub for the roll of tape in the paint department. If you don’t have a roll of this specific stuff, you’re going to need to buy one (or more). Painter’s tape is low-tack, which means it will go on and peel off without leaving sticky residue on your walls and trim. It also won’t pull away the finish you wish to keep. There are different tapes suited for specific surfaces. Read the label or ask the paint shop staff for help in selecting the right roll for your job. For example, you’ll find tape designed for multi-purpose use, as well as tape specifically designed with delicate walls in mind (think fresh dry wall or newly painted). To get off on the right foot, pick the tape that’s best suited for your job. 

Prep the wall

Before you stick the tape anywhere, take a damp sponge and wipe down the wall and trim. Let the surface dry before you proceed. The best painted walls start off clean, dry, and dust-free. 

Go long

You may think it’s more manageable to pull off several inches of tape and apply it to the surface you wish to protect. Not necessarily. Every juncture point is an open invitation for paint to seep through. On the other hand, you don’t want to peel off a huge swath of tape all at once. Work with 1 to 2 foot sections at a time. Be sure to overlap your tape segments to limit the aforementioned invite to seep. Don’t go too long, however. Pulling off large sheets can create sticky tangles and ineffective, overstretched tape that won’t lie properly. This would invite paint to bleed past your tape border as well.

Smooth it out

The goal of taping is a clean, sharp line. Make sure the tape lies flat at your border line. Press it down with your fingertip or a putty knife to secure the edges. 

Base coat it

To really seal the deal, use your brush to lightly paint a thin strip of your primer or wall color along the edge of your tape. 

Take it off

If you wait for your paint to fully dry to remove your tape, the paint may chip and create uneven lines. Start pulling your tape off when you put your brush down from the last swipe of color. Pull down and away gently at a 45- degree angle. If the tape isn’t peeling back cleanly, adjust your angle to 90 degrees and enlist the help of a sharp tool to cut (or score) the layer of paint between the finished wall and the tape you’re pulling away.

by Anjie Cho

Going Neutral: Layering Comfort and Versatility into Your Design

I want to share a designer’s secret with you. Ready? Here it is: neutral palettes are anything but dull and staid. Neutral color tones are expressive and alive with personality in the right hands. Before you pick up a paint brush or reach for a set of swatches, read this. 

Swath of Many Colors:

What’s the first hue you think of when someone mentions painting a room with a neutral? White? Beige? The truth is that the choices within the neutral color family are vast! You have your pick between subtle differences in the warm cream family like ivory, bone, alabaster and eggshell. Or move into the neighborhood of grey with its soft shades of dove, pewter and the bolder, more saturated tone of charcoal. Start with a base color that best suits your personal taste and the mood you’re looking to strike in the room. 

Layer It Up:

Build interest by layering colors in different shades or complementary hues. If you’ve painted your walls a light shade of gray, introduce depth with a carbon colored sofa or an area rug toned somewhere in between. Introduce texture and patterns with your upholstered pieces that play up the same color family. Look for wood tones that complement your aesthetic tastes and the color palette you’ve selected. Just be aware of what undertones are present in your wall color. If the neutral on your wall is broadcasting undertones of blue, layer in other hues that whisper blue also. 

Play with Pops:

The beauty of a neutral décor is that you can work in pops of color that are easily updated when you’re ready for something new. Perhaps your walls are a pleasing shade of ivory, your sofa is a lush chocolate and the wooden entertainment center is a rich, earthy hue. Greet spring with pillows in a mossy green, an area rug that plays into the soft, dawning shades of spring and a couple of throws light enough in weight and color tone to ward off the last fingers of winter’s chill. When you’re feeling like summer’s ready to sing indoors, swap out the pillows, rug and other accessories for colors that make you feel like you’re beach bound. 

Go Organic or Metallic:

Elements of nature feel as at home in a neutral room as metallics do. You’ve got the option to add accessories that harken back to nature. A sun-filled room may be a welcome space to show off your collection of beach-themed accessories like an antiqued jar filled with shells and sea glass while a hemp-braided rug rests on the floor. On the other hand, you may find brushed nickel and satin-finished silver tones complement your design taste. Either one will feel at home with a neutral color palette.

by Anjie Cho