Everyone wants a home with beautiful decor and accents that work together in harmony, but maintaining this interior Zen can be tricky. What usually holds people back is not money or time, but a lack of objectivity. Clutter is the greatest enemy of Feng Shui, because it slowly invades your home, making your living space a source of stress. Feng Shui is all about comfort and peace of mind, and should be thought of as a path to make your home facilitate happiness.
Parting with pieces of furniture or random trinkets collected throughout our lives is no easy task, because of the sentimental value we place on our belongings. Ever seen Hoarders? Your possessions take power over your living space and hold you in the past. The surprising result of clearing the clutter, is that once the items are gone, you rarely miss them.
Keep in mind that just because a possession needs to leave your house, doesn’t mean it has to go in the garbage. There are several ways to edit:
The One Year Rule: If you haven’t worn it, used it, or fixed it in 365 days, toss it.
The Attic Rule: Throwing away family memorabilia is sacrilege, but you don’t need every photo and heirloom out on display. Edit keepsakes down to the few your home truly needs and put the rest in weatherproof storage. You can always pull them out during the holidays.
The Beach House Rule: Vacation homes are the perfect place to have a sense of humor in your interior design. While tchotchkes can suffocate your main dwelling, they can breath life and fun into your weekend getaways.
Feng Shui design is most successful in helping find interior peace because it uses reason. The possessions that should have a place in your home should have necessity. When your living space is open with room to breath, your life is open to accept new experiences and good fortune. Once the clutter is gone, you might find you’ve been living in your dream home all along.
