How to Stage Your Home for the Feng Shui Buyer

featured this week in Better Homes and Gardens

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Collaborated with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate to talk about Feng Shui for Chinese-American buyers

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate recently conducted a real estate survey of the US market, focusing on Chinese and Chinese Americans who comprise the fastest growing segment of home buyers. As a whole, they spent an estimated $28.6 billion on residential real estate in the U.S. from April 2014 to March 2015.  

The research questioned 500 Chinese-Americans in partnership with the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) to understand the impact of the ancient design philosophy, feng shui, on this population’s home buying mindset and preferences. This research also has implications for furniture and other home furnishings purchases.

Feng shui is still a pervasive, even indispensable, design influence and lifestyle for such a large group of Americans. Some key points from the survey by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate include:

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    eHow.com Video: Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

    Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

    Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

    The type of paint as well as the treatment of the wall can greatly improve any wall imperfections!

    see more eHow.com videos here

    Video Transcript

    I'm Anjie Cho, and these are some ideas for painting flat and imperfect walls.

    Imperfections and blemishes on your walls can definitely be an eye sore, but there are ways that you can improve the appearance of paints. The finish of the paint, as well as the treatment of the walls before you paint, are very important.

    Before you start, make sure to fill the imperfections with Spackle, like so. You can get Spackle along with a putty knife at any hardware store. Let it dry, then make sure to sand the surface smooth with sandpaper.

    Second, the type of paint is very important. Matte or flat finish paints will hide the imperfections the most effectively because they are not as reflective as egg shell, semi-gloss or glossy finishes. The more reflective the paint, the more it will accentuate the imperfections, 'cause the light will hit, will reflect off the uneven surfaces. I'm painting here with the zero VOC eco-friendly paint, which I recommend for a non-toxic holistic home.

    Preparing the wall with Spackle and using a flat or matte finish paint is a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the look of your flat and imperfect walls.

    by Anjie Cho


    Feng Shui Tips for Moving into a New Home

    featured today on Streeteasy.com

     

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    Where we live is an essential element of our lives. It is where we feel safe.  It is such a precarious time when we are moving into a home, so it is during this transition time that feng shui can be of great assistance.  It is helpful to implement some feng shui when moving because it’s easy and extremely effective to start off your home with the right fundamentals in place. Below are some simple feng shui tips when moving into a new home.

    Space Clearing

    When you move into a new apartment or house, it may have lingering energy of past inhabitants.  This energy may be stagnant or negative, so it’s beneficial to start your life there with a clean slate.  The best way to do this is with a space clearing.  This can be done before you move in, with your boxes unpacked, or even after you have already unpacked.  But is best to do this as early as possible.  This process is a way of blessing the space, so be sure to do so with the intention that you are creating a new home to support and nourish you.  Start by opening all of the windows and doors for a minimum of nine minutes.  After 9 minutes of airing out the entire place, use orange essential oil to clear the space.  You can purchase an orange essential oil spray or get a diffuser for each room.  Oranges are very auspicious and the essence from the peels transforms energy into something positive and bright life affirming.

    Rededicate the Home

    After you have cleared the place of the existing energy, it is time to rededicate this space as your home.  Begin by selecting one personal object per room that has a positive special meaning for you.  Some examples are: family photos of happy times, an heirloom with positive memories, or a favorite plant. Place one personal object in each room starting at the entry, and then go clockwise placing the other objects in the additional rooms. Pay special attention to the entry, the kitchen, office and bedrooms.  After each object is located in each room, head back to the entry door.  From the entry, proceed clock wise from room to room.  In each room focus your positive and joyful intentions for your new home first by recognizing your personal object, then the room that it is now in.  Visualize that the happiness associated with that object is filled the room with supportive and lucky energy.

    Command Position

    My last suggestion is to do your best to locate your new furniture based on the command position.  In feng shui the concept of the command position is to locate your bed, desk, stove and other major furniture in such a way that it has the most expansive view of the entry door for the particular room.  You always want to be facing the door, while not directly in line of the door.  This typically means that you would be in command when placing your bed diagonally from the door, on the opposite side of the room and facing the door with the wall behind your headboard.  This position allows you to be in command of your home and life, creating a stress free and relaxing abode.

    Congratulations on your new home!  Remember that feng shui is about focusing conscious intention in whatever you do. With all these feng shui tips remember that you are improving the energy flow in your life to create a safe and nurturing abode.

    by Anjie Cho