Let’s be clear, the holidays can sometimes bring the crazy out of everyone. From holiday shopping, Christmas decorating and cheerful gatherings, a lot of stress can be brought on during the holidays. Creating a more feng shui environment will not only reduce your holiday stress, but it will also create a more comforting space for your holiday guests. We have a four-step method you can follow this holiday season, and hopefully, things will run more smoothly than you anticipated.
1. Warm Welcome
Your guest’s first impression starts at the exterior of your home. Although your block may have a competition for the best Christmas light show, the over the top flash and sparkle is not always welcoming. A festive wreath emits holiday cheer and makes your home more welcoming without all of the extra hoopla.
* Additional Holiday Tip: Greet guests with a glass of champagne, cider or hot chocolate to immediately set the holiday mood.
2. Entry Way
Your home’s entry way is the first area of the home your family and friends step into. Minimal, non-cluttered decoration with holiday tunes and pleasant scents of evergreen or cinnamon can make your guests feel right at home.
*Additional Holiday Tip: Once all visitors get settled in your home, start serving functional appetizers and beverages. If you do serve drinks or hors d’oeuvres that stain, don’t sweat it! Follow Martha Stewart’s easy holiday stain removal tips.
3. Create Space
The layout of your home is one of the elements that will determine if you are accomplishing positive feng shui. Space clearing can help unclutter a room and create easier traffic flow as your guests move around. Think about where your guests are eating. If it is spread out throughout the home, do they have coasters, TV trays and most importantly, elbowroom to eat comfortably? HGTV suggests lightening the hosting burdens by serving food buffet-style instead of setting a full dinner table. Make sure guests can access all dishes from either side of the table, if feasible, for more efficiency.
*Additional Holiday Tip: As we mentioned, the holidays are stressful, and they are here and gone before you know it. One way to accomplish feng shui’s create space principal, mentally, is through preparation. Make lists of the tasks you need to complete before you hear the doorbell ring, and try to accomplish as much as possible ahead of schedule.
4. Balanced Colors
All colors coordinate with a specific feng shui energy. The energies are often identified as fire, earth, life, water and wood. Red and green represent the fire and wood elements. Although these two colors most commonly represent the holidays, mixing other color families in your home’s décor will give your home balance.
*Additional Holiday Tips: Modern blue, white and silver table settings and place cards, unified wrapping paper or party favors can bring complimentary calm water, life and metal elements to your home. Mixing all the energy colors together brings balance.
There are a lot of elements you need to achieve before making your home feng shui-approved for the holidays, but balanced colors, calming space, comforting décor, natural lighting and the fresh scent of pine can bring everything together. However, are you trying to accomplish a little more before your guests arrive? Connect with the Firenza team and we can suggest a few quick home updates that will help improve your home before the holidays.
