Q&A Sunday: Finding a Feng Shui Consultant

I am writing to see, can you refer me to a Feng Shui consultant or specialist in Chicago? I am looking for ways to enhance different areas of my apartment, and I am seeking an expert to help me.

Cynthia H., Chicago, IL

Hi Cynthia,

Thank you for your question! Unfortunately, I don’t know a feng shui consultant in Chicago that I can refer you to. However I can still offer some advice!

The International Feng Shui Guild has a consultant directory that you can visit. Their website is http://www.ifsguild.org. You can search by location, and may I also suggest you look for the “red ribbon professionals”? Consultants at the “red ribbon professional” level have passed an assessment and have graduated from a qualified feng shui program.

Additionally, I suggest you review the consultants in your area and select three or so to contact. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and open with whatever consultant you hire to support you with your home or work space. 

I would also recommend that you talk to the prospective feng shui consultant about what you are looking for and your expectations. Some may be more focused on energy, others on the interior decoration, and there are other considerations depending on what school the consultant practices in. For instance, when I receive a call or email from a potential client, we schedule a 15-minute chat to review what their needs are to see if we are a good match. Some people want to have a lot of concrete help on selecting paint schemes, looking at furniture. etc. Others are open to whatever comes from the consultation. Either way, communication is extremely valuable when selecting the right feng shui practitioner to work with.

And…remember, you will share personal details about your life, so go with your intuition and gut on who is the most beneficial match for you. Like many cases in feng shui, intention and energy are the most important aspects, so choose someone with whom you feel positive energy that excites you for your space! Feel free to share what you find for other readers from Chicago!

by Anjie Cho

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This $429,000 Upper West Side One-Bedroom Could Use a Gut Reno, and Here's How to Do It (With Cost Taken Into Account!)

featured this week on Brick Underground by Leah Hochbaum Rosner

The best thing about this $429,000 top-floor one-bedroom at 140 West 71st Street in Lincoln Square is that it’s south-facing, “so it’s going to get a lot of light,” says architect Anjie Cho. Also, she notes that the prewar building, the Danielle, allows owners to sublet their units without any residency requirements—a rarity for a co-op.

That said, the apartment definitely has a few issues, most notably “the weird wavy column on the wall in the living room,” says Cho, mentioning that she supposes it might be some sort of drain. “It could be hard to work with.”

Here’s what she’d do to deal with that peculiar pole, as well as the rest of this outdated Upper West Side residence that she calls “a major major fixer-upper.” Her recommendations:

The living room (pictured above)

The first thing Cho would do is make sure the electrical system is up-to-date. If it isn't, an overhaul is in order since “it could be quite old,” given that the building dates back to the 1920s. And if you are required to get it up to code, you’ll need a permit, which, she says, "could be costly.” But it’ll be worth the expense, removing the danger of the system shorting out when you want to plug in your hair dryer, for example, or worse. Safety is, after all, paramount.

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Bedroom Makeover: 9 Feng Shui Tips for Better Sleep

featured this month on Daily Burn by Tiffany Ayuda

We all know about the many factors that come into play when it comes to sleep: gut health, nightly shutdown routine and exercise. But your sleep environment also says a lot about the quality of zzz’s you get at night. Ill-fitting pillows, clutter and distracting electronics can be major sleep thieves.

If designed right, though, your bedroom has limitless potential. Between those four walls, you can have a sanctuary, a REM fortress, a dream world… This space can also symbolize your relationship with yourself, your partner and the most important things in your life. And feng shui — the ancient Chinese practice of balancing energies in any given space by placing your furniture and belongings a certain way — might help.

Anjie Cho, feng shui expert, interior designer and creator of Holistic Spaces, says, “Your bedroom represents you. Other than maybe your office, you spend a majority of your time in your bedroom, especially if you get six to eight hours of sleep at night.” And that’s when the so-called magic happens: “Because you’re unconscious and in a passive state while you sleep, you’re open to absorbing energy around you more easily,” Cho says.

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