Homeowner Janine Smith and designer Maude MacGillivray sought the help of a feng shui expert when they began decorating Smith's spacious California home. Kitty Bartholomew visited with them to see how they incorporated feng shui principles into the decor .
- Natural materials, like stone and wood, were used throughout the home.
- Elimination of clutter--instead of having a lot of objects sitting out, a glass and pottery collection was displayed vertically in built-in shelves.
- Energy control--to block the escape of energy between the front and back entrances of the home, a silk ficus tree was placed in the passage between the two doorways .
- Blind eye--to cover the staring eye of the TV, a witty painting of the TV was suspended on a lift system that can be raised and lowered when the TV is not in use .
- Elimination of sharp edges--the jutting angles of the dining room's corners were swathed in voluptuous silk drapes.
- Metal counterpoint--to soften the effect of the metal bed frame, gauzy blue silk curtains were hung from the corners.
- Security--a full-length mirror was placed at the foot of the bed to enable the bed's occupants to see who is entering the room from the bed.
- Controlling wealth--since the bathroom was located in the wealth corner of the home, a number of reflective surfaces (mirrors and shiny glass) were installed to prevent wealth from going down the drain and reflect it back into the home.
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