Q&A Sunday: Is a Canopy Bed in a Bed Alcove Good Feng Shui?

I'm moving into a studio that has an alcove for the bed right next to the front door. Because of the layout of the apartment, there is no other position for the bed that would work (it would literally be in the kitchen, lol). Would having a canopy around the bed, and keeping it enclosed, help with the feng shui in this scenario?

Nakia, on Organizing your Studio Apartment: Feng Shui Tips

Hi Nakia,

Thanks for responding to our Organizing your Studio Apartment: Feng Shui Tips post! 

I hope your move went well. So, you are correct, you definitely don’t want to have your bed in the kitchen! Hahaha! We have to work with what we’re given, and sometimes we are presented with obstacles because there’s a teaching in that. 

With a studio, or sometimes they call them junior one bedrooms, there’s some sort of separate alcove for a bed, but it’s all one open space in the living area. You were wondering if a canopy around the bed would work to keep it enclosed, since a canopy bed typically has a curtain around it. While it would definitely serve a function to enclose the bed, isn’t it already enclosed because it’s in an alcove? I am getting the feeling that it would actually feel pretty tight and maybe suffocating. But I don’t know how big your alcove is. My first thought is a no. Why would you want to make the alcove seem even smaller? There may be a specific reason for you that would be beneficial, but in general I would not advise it. If you want to visually separate the bed, I’d rather see one use a curtain or perhaps a room divider. 

You may want to double check our posts on the commanding position and other bedroom tips and see if any of those adjustments apply to your new space. It’s your apartment, so you should make it comforting and relaxing for you, and there are usually feng shui tips for this.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design feng shui cerfication program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. Check us out at www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

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Stale Nursery Trends It’s Time to Say Goodbye To

featured on Domino by Caroline Biggs

Ask any parent-to-be and they’ll probably say the same thing: Half the fun of prepping for a baby is designing the nursery. But before you go pinning up a storm on Pinterest, it’s important to take a minute to think about the trends that are actually worth putting in your little one’s room. While some ideas might offer initial appeal—much like other outdated home décor crazes—a lot of nursery fads are fleeting.

Luckily, we have a lot of designer friends to call upon for help. We asked these interior aficionados what nursery trends are on their way out, and they had a lot to share. From animal prints to crib mobiles, read ahead for the trends the experts say it’s time to bid adieu to.

Gendered Colors

As gendered stereotypes become more and more passé in the real world, it’s no surprise that hip designers are making a concerted effort to create gender-neutral nurseries.

“Gender roles in society are beginning to be revisited, and so are the traditional go-to hues (i.e. pink for girls and blue for boys) used in nurseries,” says designer Anjie Cho. “Gray—my favorite is Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl—is the new yellow of non-gendered nursery colors; it works with pastels and is both soothing and neutral.”

…read full article

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.

An architect's guide to creating holistic spaces

featured in Irish Examiner by Carol O’Callaghan

Tradition and modernity combine in a new book by architect Anjie Cho who takes the art of mindfulness into the organisation of our homes, helping us to lead healthier lives, writes Carol O’Callaghan

Architect Anjie Cho is about to revive our interest in the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui with her new book, Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to create a Mindful and Peaceful Home. Drawing on her own approach to interior design, it aims to create supportive and nurturing environments for the inhabitants.

As a one-time prolific reader of anything feng shui related, and never knowingly passing an advertisement for a Saturday seminar on the subject, I would say the most challenging aspect of feng shui is getting to grips with the bagua — a floor plan of the home divided into nine areas relating to different aspects of life — work, relationships and health, for example.

…read full article

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design Feng Shui certification program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. To get on the list about it, sign up at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com.

Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.