The entryway to your home sets the tone for your whole living space, but what about the effect it has on your career success? Feng shui suggests that black and other dark colors have an impact on your success. We spoke with feng shui experts to find out how we can incorporate these concepts into our own homes — and boost our careers at the same time.
How does feng shui relate to your career?
The Kan Gua is located near the front entry, and is the career area of a home. “The colors of the Kan Gua are black, navy blue and dark blue,” says Diana Hathaway Timmons, color expert at About.com, interior designer and author of Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen. “Decorating with these colors in the Kan Gua of your home can enhance career opportunities.” She stresses that while using these colors is beneficial, it is important to approach it in a balanced way, or it will create the opposite effect. “Feng shui is all about balance, and that includes the use of colors,” she adds. “Using large amounts of dark color in the room traps the chi (energy) and will defeat the purpose of using color as a career enhancement.”
Your face to the world
Visualize the front entry to your home, which is what people see first when they approach your home or enter it. “The entry and front door of your home represent your face to the world, how the world sees you and how easily opportunities can come to you,” says Anjie Cho, registered New York State architect and feng shui interior designer. “The entry is also related to your path in life as well as the season and energy of winter,” Cho adds. “Using black to emphasize water and career will increase your career success. The colors black and dark blue, the number one, wavy shapes and the element of water symbolize this area.”
Using the baqua map
How do you determine which areas in your home relate to which segments of your life? “The baqua map is placed over the home’s floor plan, so the Kan Gua will not always lie on the entry or foyer, but it will always be along the front wall,” shares Timmons. So if your home’s entryway happens to be located front and center, this would be where you would apply the Kan Gua career color cures and enhancements. “If the Kan Gua career area falls in another room on the map, you would apply those color cures and enhancements in that room,” she adds.
Individual rooms — like a living area or an office — could also be mapped with the baqua, so that within an area of the home you could also use Kan Gua career enhancement colors and symbols. “This is a great idea if you’d like to apply feng shui career enhancements to your workspace outside the home,” says Timmons.
Put feng shui to work for you
At the door: Cho shares a few tips that anyone can use to capture the essence of feng shui in relation to their career. “If you need some more support in your career you could do some adjustments in this area of your home or office,” she shares. “A black welcome mat that’s close to the width of the entry door will encourage and attract cash flow for the inhabitants. Using black accent pieces here also will influence and activate one’s career,” she adds. Consider painting your front door black to strengthen the energy of your home.
Accent a wall: “Decorating with Kan Gua colors and enhancements in an entryway could be as simple as adding an accent wall of deep blue,” shares Timmons.
Bring in the water: “Because the Kan Gua element is water, ocean- or fish-related art or even a well-cared-for aquarium can enhance the space,” Timmons adds.
Watch the light: Timmons stresses that when using dark colors, you should make sure to use adequate lighting and a mirror or other reflective materials to move the chi energy through the dark space.
Choose things that are meaningful to you: “The main focus should be to have items with a very high energy or special meaning,” shares feng shui master Linda Lenore.
Go natural: “Natural stone can be used to raise the vitality of the area. Using black marble, granite or obsidian would be good choices as stone flooring, architectural features or design accessories,” adds Lenore. “Placing a beautiful accent piece of furniture made from black walnut might be another possibility. Wooden carvings made from ebony would also be a nice touch.”
Accent pieces: “Black lacquer, shiny enamel or porcelain vases are nice accent pieces,” says Lenore. “A lovely black and white photo or black-rimmed mirror could work. An area rug with a swirl pattern could make you feel like you are walking on water, able to flow with the ‘good fortune’ of life,” she adds.
Ready to give it a try? Consider incorporating some elements of feng shui into your home and see what it brings into your life and career.
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