ShareThisA continuing compendium of tips and tricks from Home & Garden Television:Feng shui divides the world into five elements -- wood, fire, earth, metal and water. If you have a room that doesn't feel quite right, balancing the elements can make it more comfortable.Incorporate all five elements into every room design, enhancing specific elements according to your goals. Each element invokes a different mood, creating a customized space that's beneficial for your personality and goals.Using the five elements in design can be confusing, so let's get started with the basics.1. Wood. Wood harnesses the power of creativity and expansion, while representing traits such as growth, birth, strength, flexibility and intuition. Too much wood can make you feel overwhelmed, rigid, stubborn and inflexible, whereas too little can show up as a lack of creativity or depression, ambivalence and stagnancy.When adding the wood element to a room, look for the following types of objects:-- fresh and silk flowers-- plants and trees-- cotton or natural fabrics-- wood furniture2. Fire. Increase enthusiasm and leadership skills by maximizing the fire element. Use this element in design to encourage expressiveness, inspiration and boldness. To increase the fire element in your space, add:-- candles, incandescent lights and sunlight-- any shade of red, pink or purple-- electronic equipment-- animal prints3. Earth. When there is an overabundance of earth in a space, people will often notice a heavy sensation and experience more boredom, sluggishness and seriousness. When there is too little earth, people may feel disorganized, chaotic and unfocused.To bring in the element, look for:--anything in earth tones (brown, green or sand)-- square and rectangular shapes-- low, flat surfaces-- images of landscapesThink of all the warm colors of the earth, the square or rectangular shapes of earthen tiles and the long, flat horizontal lines of an earthy landscape.4. Metal. The presence of metal within a room or home can be felt in emotional characteristics like organization, focus, righteousness and analytical abilities. When enhancing a space with metal, look for:-- round or oval shapes-- anything made of metal, like steel, iron, aluminum, gold or silver-- rocks and stones-- white, gray, silver or light pastel colors5. Water. A balance of water brings about inspiration, wisdom and insightfulness. Look for or add these types of objects when learning about the water element:-- the color black or any deep, dark tones-- reflective surfaces, such as mirrors or gazing balls-- wavy, freeform or asymmetrical shapes-- water or water features, such as aquariums or fountainsCourtesy of Stephanie McWilliams, host of "Fun Shui" on HGTV.(For thousands of other ideas visit www.hgtv.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
101 pretty good ideas from Home & Garden Television
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