Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is the Chinese art of placement and design. It can improve the visual flow of a home or office. By following a few simple guidelines, you can use Fung Shui to enhance the appearance and comfort of your patio. If your life and luck are improved, too, that's an added benefit of Feng Shui.
FENG SHUI DESIGN BASICS
First, be certain that your patio is clean and clutter free. Sweep the floor if it has a hard surface. Throw out dead plants that have been lodging there. If your patio has screens, curtains, or blinds, be certain that they are clean, too.
Next, consider the purpose of the patio. Is it for relaxation, or will you barbecue there as well? Does your sound system extend outside? Will you have a table for outdoor dining? Will there be a walkway leading from the home to the yard? Each of these is a design component.
Decide the areas of use, and plan comfortable paths between them. For example, the patio may be divided into a cooking area and a place for guests to sit and relax. This is a good starting point for your design plans.
Each patio chair should provide a pleasant and relaxed view. Landscaping helps, of course. But, in Feng Shui, we also consider where guests will enter the patio area. Try to arrange your chairs so that an arriving guest is not greeted by someone's back. Generally, a semi-circular arrangement is ideal.
Always try to have empty chairs available unless you prefer to be alone. You may be surprised by how often those extra chairs are filled with unexpected guests.
If you have a table, be certain that it does not block foot traffic. Your table can be any height, but if you have hills or mountains in back of your home, it's best to choose an elevated table. Likewise, if you live on the side of a hill or your backyard overlooks a canyon, choose a very low table, as a visual bridge between the height of your home and the landscape around it.
If you want to display potted plants on your patio, be sure that they're healthy. Regularly remove dead leaves or fading flowers. Also, if you display hanging plants, be certain that none of them hang over a guest's head or near it. Feng Shui designers avoid placing objects where a guest may subconsciously worry that something will fall on him.
If you have a "brown thumb," it's better to display silk plants and flowers than their dried, natural counterparts. In Feng Shui, dried plants are dead plants, and nothing dead should be in the home.
If shrubs enclose your patio, add tall, potted flowering plants, or other interesting displays for depth. Think of your shrubs as undecorated walls. You can use holiday ornament hooks to hang seasonal decorations from your shrubs. Some people tie colorful ribbons or silk flowers to the branches. You'll find more ideas in landscaping books and magazines at your public library.
Do you have a sound system on your patio? Consider speakers that look like natural rocks, so that they blend in with the outdoor setting. Several companies make speakers in rock designs, or covers for your existing speakers.
If stairs lead to your patio, be certain that they are clear and well lit. Every path to and from your patio should be open and easy to use.
But, there is one exception to the "open path" rule. If the view from your patio is not attractive, it's best to use decorated folding screens or other interesting enclosures. Likewise, if city noises intrude, shrubs or a textured wall can restore a sense of peace to your patio.
With these general guidelines in mind, it's time to consider the significance of where the patio is in relation to the rest of the house.
COLOR AND THEME SPECIFICS
Now it's time to apply a little Feng Shui design magic.
There are several schools of design in Feng Shui. Rather than delve into complex compass studies, we'll use the simplest approach to Feng Shui. It's called the Black Hat school, related to traditional clothing in China.
According to Feng Shui, a simple grid of nine squares determines the design concepts that will work best in your home. This imaginary grid is placed over your floor plan, based on where your front door is.
Most patios are at the back of the house. There are three possible squares that your patio might be in, and each has its own design theme and color.
If you are standing just inside the front door, if your patio is at the back left corner of your home, that area has a theme of money and affluence. The colors to use are from Mardi Gras: Green, gold, purple, and perhaps some maroon. If any plants in this area aren't thriving, replace them immediately. Healthy plants are very important in the "money corner." Everything on and around your patio should reflect luxury and comfort.
Have you been keeping your trashcans in this area? That's not a good idea; it symbolizes waste in your budget. Build a concealed storage area for the trashcans, or use a small shed and place it far away from the house.
If you want to cook outside, put the barbecue on the far right side of the your "money corner" patio. Otherwise, it's a symbol of burning through your money.
But, if your patio is at the back right corner of your home, decorate it with red, pink, and white. Its theme is romance. Everything on the patio should be in twos--no single chairs set apart from the others.
Think about sizzling romance as you plan a patio in this area. If you've wanted to own a hot tub, this is the perfect location for it. Decorate your patio with candles... in sets of two, of course. A barbecue will be fine anywhere on this patio.
But, perhaps your patio is in the center, or extends the full width of the back of your home. If so, consider it a boost to your reputation; that back center area has a Feng Shui theme of fame. Lean towards the colors red or orange for your decor, and anything that symbolizes light or fire. It's an ideal place for your barbecue.
The goal of Feng Shui is to make decorating easy, and provide color and design themes as focal points for each area of your home.
Following these guidelines, Feng Shui can add a sense of space and elegance to your patio. If, as some believe, Feng Shui also brings you luck, that's an added benefit.
