Office at the end of the Hallway
Q: My new office is brightly lit and a corner lcoation, at the end of a long hallway. The office is small and the only way to place the desk is facing the door with my back to a wall that is all window. The location is great for me because I can see all of the comings and goings of the general office, but I understand that such direct chi flow can be overwhelming. I read that a crystal ball is helpful in adjusting this energy. Are there other adjustments that can be made to make this energy positive for my business?

A: What you want to do in a situation such as this is interrupt or deflect some of the incoming chi, so it isn’t such a strong influence. Some chi flow into your office is a good thing, and, as you’ve noticed. there may be advantages to the location (awareness of what’s going on in the larger space). It’s the too much, too fast aspect of the chi that can be overwhelming.

Also, because there’s that large window behind you, all the chi coming in may be moving right on through unless you keep blinds drawn most of the time, and that could drain your energy.

Faceted crystals are an excellent remedy for both aspects of the problem. They diffuse the chi coming down that hallway and scatter it in a multitude of directions. You still benefit from the incoming chi, but it’s now spread out more around the office in a softer way.

Although faceted crystal balls are most often recommended as the feng shui remedy for this type of situation, a Swarovski crystal figurine can be just as effective, and is the more subtle choice for an office location. Place it on your desk between you and the door. If anyone comments on it, you don’t have to get into the feng shui significance: just say “it was a gift,” and leave it at that.

You might also see if you can put a large potted plant (“lifelike” artificial is okay) in front of that large window. I think every office can benefit from the introduction of some ‘natural’ energy (even if the plant is a silk one), and by creating an interior focal point it will help keep your energy and attention from going out the window.

Wishing you great success in your new office,
Stephanie R.
Source: Fast Feng Shui Blog

Hauntingly Beautiful: Douglas Little
Prologue: By way of explanation regarding this eleventh hour post, I think the spooks are hitting blogger pretty hard this week. Between disappearing photos and vanishing prose, this post has taken a mite longer than expected. I might have abandoned it all together, but I thought you would enjoy the very beautiful and haunting talents of Mr. Douglas Little to start you on your trick or treating evening. So here is a VERY much condensed version of the disappearing post:

Douglas Little, Modern Alchemist and Purveyor of Curious Goods created a Gothic Fantasy for the pages of the November 2006 issue of House and Garden magazine. Some of you may remember it:

What I wanted to show you were the beautiful recreations that Mr. Little did for the window displays at Bergdorf Goodman:

To see the entire display click here. There are many more images to pique your imagination.

Source: katiedid

Decisions, decisions
Can’t, for the life of you, decide on a colour scheme for your living room? There’s only one solution: get your hands on the simply brilliant Rubitone (Rubik’s + Pantone). Inspired colour mixes guaranteed!
Via: What’s blogging my view
Source: Elle Decoration SA

Treat Your Kitchen to Modern Lighting
One of the best places in your home for an update is the kitchen considering the amount of time we spend in there on a daily basis. Whether we are entertaining friends or whipping up a home cooked meal, the kitchen is a comfortable place for people to gather and talk. When there’s food, there are always people!

If you’re one to avoid your kitchen altogether due to the lack of design or counter space, you can make a small aesthetic change that will make all the difference. Installing modern kitchen lighting will open up even the smallest of cooking corners while providing the light you need to make a fantastic meal. Kitchen pendant lights are great for hanging over a kitchen island or bar area while track lighting and modern recessed lights offer a great source of light while staying out of the way from kitchen activities. Next time you’re in the market to upgrade your kitchen, go a little crazy and pick a unique light fixture that not only will serve as a light source but as a modern kitchen accessory.

Source: Modern Design Blog

Get Out Your Fork…It’s Dessert Time!
Yep, it’s time for dessert, and here’s what’s on the menu:

Are you hungry yet? Well, unfortunately, these gorgeous treats aren’t edible. These are the creation of Le Viette, and they are made of hand towels. Aren’t they fantastic? What a unique and imaginative gift idea. I think any hostess would appreciate such a thoughtful (and beautiful) gift! Here are a few more:

[all photos from www.leviette.com]

For more information and pricing information, you can visit the Le Viette website.

Happy decorating!

Source: Blog–Addicted 2 Decorating

Beautiful Kitchen Inspiration
Do you remember those days when kitchens (and bathrooms) were simply utilitarian? No style, no frills, nothing customized…simply the basics needed to get the job done.

Wow, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we? Kitchen design is big business now, and they’ve become rooms that are full of style and customized features, while still being highly functional. In fact, with the customization of cabinetry and the availability of more specialized appliances, kitchens have become even more functional than ever. Look at some of these gorgeous kitchens by Michigan kitchen designer EW Kitchens:

[all photos from www.ewkitchens.com]

So why spend all of this money on a kitchen?? The answer is quite simple…especially for families. The kitchen has become the heart of the home. Think of how much time your family spends in the kitchen–cooking breakfast, preparing lunch, cooking dinner, entertaining and gathering with friends and family, preparing holiday meals, helping the kids with homework, working on craft projects. I mean, possibly no other room in our homes gets as much wear and tear as our kitchens. So if we’re going to spend so much time there and get so much use out of them, shouldn’t they look fabulous as well? Of course they should!

Be inspired, and happy decorating!

Source: Blog–Addicted 2 Decorating

The Traditional Chinese Dress - The Cheongsam or the Qipao

The Chinese traditional dress is what I consider to be one of the classics.

Don’t forget to get your submissions in for

Source: Alkemie

Featured Design Blog: Perfect Bound
When it comes to finding inspiration for our home, magazines focused on fine living and décor provide us with an unlimited amount of inspiration. The glossy, vibrant photos fill our minds with decorating ideas and DIY projects as we dream up how we would depict our perfect home.

While on the hunt for an inspirational idea from Domino magazine, I stumbled upon Perfect Bound, a fabulous blog dedicated to fashion, design, and amazing style seen anywhere from the runway to a magazine photo shoot. I immediately was hooked with the author’s recent post featuring J. Crew’s Creative Director, Jenna Lyons’ Brooklyn brownstone since one photo reminded me of a color scheme I have going on in my bedroom.

Each post highlights a new fashion trend that will take your breath away. The fabrics, colors, and overall style featured in Perfect Bound will keep you up to date on the seasonal colors and styles that you can bring into your life from your wardrobe to your home.

Source: Modern Design Blog

Report from NYC: Boo!
There is some sca-a-ry Halloween-themed décor around and if you live in the holiday-obsessed US of A, you’ll know exactly what I mean. So I’ve been scouring the Web for unusually creepy décor for the Halloween party I’m not having.

My invitations would go out on this wonderful ‘Special Bites’ print, by Matt Cipov, and my guests would be greeted at the door by this bewitching wreath from Plumparty.

A creepy tone would be set by my dark and bizarre table centerpiece, which includes a black rose bouquet from Target, surrounded by a few black crows made with real feathers.

But the piece de resistance at the center of the table would be — hold your stomach — this alligator specimen, which I found on Etsy’s Cabinet of Curiosities. (I have to say, this strange collection of items on Etsy began to creep me out for real.)

Around the table I’d intersperse some of these creepy colour-changing Dark Secret goblet candles with a skull tea light or two.

Time for a pre-dinner drink? How about a glass of merlot from a Black Diamond wine glass, or you might prefer a cocktail from the skull shaker, served in a raven acrylic tumbler (all from that emporium of high design again — you guessed it, Target).

Dinner, of course, would be prepared and served with Tord Boontje’s Witches’ Kitchen set of cooking and serving utensils, recently launched by Artecnica. Creepy it may be, but it’s all so very ethically right-on, having been handcrafted by artisans in South American countries, that we might even end up eating vegetarian!

And what would the mistress of the night be wearing? How about this rare Victorian mourning necklace made from vulcanite and jet, teamed with the black rose thorn earrings by Lee Hale, both from Erie Basin.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Source: Elle Decoration SA

Cast & Crew
Artist Alex Hamilton’s exhibition of 1000 stencil portraits of international and local icons of popular culture opens next week on Wednesday.

Read more about the Cast & Crew show at Alex Hamilton’s website. We’ll be there because the show includes a portrait of ELLE DECORATION’s iconic editor, Karen Roos!

Source: Elle Decoration SA