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These articles below can also be found in the 1 - 15 February 2010 issue of Square Foot magazine:
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How does feng shui affect home design?
| Text : Christina Kautzky |
Feng Shui is the study of the five elements–metal, wood, water, fire and earth–and how they can bring good chi, or energy, to the home or office. When all is in harmony with nature, they can bring health, happiness and good fortune replace with; when it’s not, it may cause problems.
Twenty-year veteran Boris Lam Sing Yuen, who extensively studied the art and science of feng shui, explains: “If a person lives under unfavourable feng shui conditions, he or she may find it hard to concentrate, feel restless after waking up or emotionally disturbed. In extreme cases, it can even result in long-term illness and bad investments.”
Aligning the five elements is a complicated practice and the approach to feng shui varies from master to master.
Wilson Ng, a feng shui expert for nearly three decades, explains that his approach requires several factors to be taken into account. He needs to know the direction of the flat, the floor plan and the birthdays of everyone who lives there. Using this as a starting point, he will be able to see if all of the elements are in harmony.
“If it is not a good feng shui home, then I look for good locations to activate energy by placing something like a heavy cabinet, a metal decoration or a plant, or maybe changing the colours of the flat,” he says. “It depends on what the house needs.”
Esther Lam, the regional operations manager for headhunting firm Profile Search & Selection, has consulted Ng for several years. According to Lam, Ng is able to pinpoint which areas already have good feng shui and which do not.
And while the majority of her first flat was already in good shape, Ng asked her to place a picture with nine red flowers in the dining room to improve her relationships and a fountain by the balcony to generate increased wealth. Lam explains that she has always felt comfortable in the space after following his directions, and notes that she continues to ask Ng to look over floor plans before she moves and to reassess the feng shui in her home on an annual basis.
Boris Lam has a different method, but one many have found equally effective. “I take a scientific approach, rating any office or home on a scale of 1 to 10.” While most places rate around five or below, he believes that a flat does not have to be a perfect 10. “It must be acceptable,” he says. To do this he recommends “user-friendly and practical feng shui items” for his clients, which together can “make any flat a pretty lucky flat.”
Individuals can take steps to improve their feng shui by ensuring that all five elements are represented in the house. However, feng shui is a complicated study and requires the work of a true expert. Clients who consult them are advised to be discerning about feng shui masters. Famous names are not always the most effective and word-of-mouth referrals are always better than advertisements. “I have clients who come back year after year, so they know that what I do is working,” says Ng. And with 2010 already here and the year of the Tiger fast approaching, now is the time to invest in changing health, happiness and good luck for the better.
What to look for in a flat, by Boris Lam
Good Fung Shui:
● Near rivers, the ocean, parks, forests, schools and plazas
● Rectangular or square layouts
Bad feng shui:
● Near temples, garbage stations, police stations, satellite dishes, power stations or cemeteries
● Triangular, pentagonal or irregularly shaped layouts
● Too few or too many windows or doors
The Experts:
Boris Lam Sing Yuen
2345 5705
yin_yang_house@yahoo.com.hk
Wilson Ng
6201 6300
ng_waishing@hotmail.com
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