GUIDELINES TO HARMONIOUS OFFICE DESIGN
By Linda Lenore

Working on an energetic level which the ancients of many cultures understood, Feng Shui brings buildings into harmony with the land they occupy, furnishings into harmony with the buildings and people into harmony with it all.

Here are nine guidelines to help you create an environment which will allow you to be the most productive, enthused and healthy you can be at work and throughout your daily life.

Define the shape of your office.
Square and/or rectangular rooms are the preferred shapes for offices because they create stable energy. "L" or "T" shape rooms create imbalanced energy, which may cause you to experience energy breaks or blocks in critical areas of your life. If this is the design of your office, use your furniture arrangement to create a more regular shape.

Make sure your desk is well supported.
We're not talking about the strength of the floor, but rather the way your desk is positioned in your office. Best placement has your desk as far away from the door as possible, while still maintaining a view of the doorway. The idea is to create a sense of the surrounding walls supporting you at your desk, the same way you would feel supported sitting in an armchair.

Look at what's facing you.
Facing a wall sends the subliminal message that you are blocked or limited in what you can achieve. The cure: a mirror above your desk (just make sure your desk is neat, so it doesn't double your clutter!); or, a landscape picture which literally and figuratively gives you the broader view.

Clear your clutter.
Do you have an abundance of clutter in place of money? Release the items which no longer serve you in order to increase the room available for income. Feng Shui says the more visible empty space there is, the more the Universal laws of prosperity come into play.

Create a nook for books.
Overflowing bookshelves can create a sense of being overwhelmed or even danger. What's going to happen to those books in an earthquake? Will they come flying out at you? If you must have a bookcase behind your desk, make it a short one, or fill it only partially.

Mix in wind and water.
The words "feng" and "shui" refer to "wind" and "water" respectively. Water is symbolic of health, wealth and career – which can also stimulate the flow of income. Fountains creating the sound of water moving can help reduce stress, stimulate creativity and are symbolic of one's
wealth circulating. Having something that moves with the wind – like a mobile or windchime – can help stimulate activity when business is slow.

Add pictures and personal pieces.
Pictures of nature and photos of those we love can remind us of the true riches in life. According to Feng Shui philosophy, there are nine areas of life represented in our physical space: Career, knowledge, family, wealth, fame, partnership, children, helpful people and health. Acknowledging these areas through objects or rituals helps create a more balanced space and harmonious life.

Remember your mission.
We're often told to write down goals and missions. Feng Shui suggests you literally keep them in front of you as representation of your dreams and values. Two good locations: On the middle of the wall opposite the door; or, opposite your desk. Wherever you put it, make sure you see it every day.

Create a space you love.
The most important aspect is of Feng Shui is to create a space which feels good. A place you love to be. The ideal approach would be to love everything 100% or get rid of it. Few of us can do that. However, if you can find something beautiful or useful in everything you have, it will change not only how you view your surroundings, but how you view the entire world as well.

Linda Lenore is the author of The Gift of the Red Envelope: A Guide to Designing Balance, Order and Beauty in Your Home.

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In Feng Shui, career has to do with all the things that you have done in your life, and all the things that you will do in your life, that generate income. It's also all the gifts that you discover you have, and how you utilize those gifts to better mankind. Career has to do with “the journey” which leads us to our life purpose.

The color associated with career is black, because black is all-encompassing knowledge. It's the absorption of everything, all parts of life. In this way, black is all wisdom. Some people mistakenly have a negative connotation of black as “black magic”, but this it not true.

The career element is water, and water is a crucial element for releasing the energies of life in general. Water symbolizes the fluids in our body, as well as the circulation of money. Having a water feature, such as a fountain, by your doorway, or in an area of career in your home, is important and brings energy to that area of life in a gentle (not harsh) way.

In addition to inside the house, there is a career area of the yard as well – its the middle section of the front of the house, right by the sidewalk/street. Often its barren, or flat with just lawn, so people can go their days without fully seeing the joy and beauty in that part of their life. To raise the energy in this area, you can bring in beautiful sculptures, bright plants, something bright or playful - anything that associates with your career and that leads you to your life purpose. If you can create something that is symbolic for you, it will be that much more powerful.

Linda Lenore
Interior Spaces
P.O. Box 7656
Menlo Park, CA 94026-7656
Phone: 650-368-5532
Email: lindalenor@aol.com