Design that plays Visual Music to your soul

Our spaces should serve us, treat us, delight us, nourish us.  On a recent work trip to Las Vegas, I surprised my friends by saying “It was the most restful and rejuvenating trip!”  They gave me one of those scrunched-face looks that made me say “Seriously! It was!”

Now — here’s the thing — the thing about Feng Shui and Sacred Intentional Design:  you may look at

the photos in the gallery linked here, or posted here and say — what? that’s not a big deal…is that her design style?  what is it?  what makes it good and/or sacred design?  That’s a big reason I don’t have many photos on my site…Feng Shui is about YOU, YOUR STYLE, your purposes and it has to be felt…the brain gets us only so far–it’s the difference between playing NOTES and playing music….ahhhhh!  One person’s good feng shui could be, well, not so much for another.

I stayed in the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, (photo gallery) and every detail was constructed to honor the momentous intersection of human and design.   I was honored  to be in this space–so struck by the tenderness I perceived with which this hotel was designed: I even teared up at the ritual whereby I was presented my room key.  The proportions, the finishes, even the smell, was one that touched a sacred chord for one reason:  it was designed that way.  Oh, the design!  Visual music, a feeling symphony, so well designed.  I wish you could hear the sigh in my voice.

It was like coming home, to the ‘real’ me.  “Love me till I’m ME again.”-sort of thing.   What a feeling of pause and attention to the moment, of love and what fuel to do good work while there.

I came to discover that the spaces are even ‘scented’ by a dear friend of mine, Tracy Pepe,

who’s firm, Nose Knows,  scents major corporations, events and hotels around the world.

[More about this amazing designed experience we are terming “Symphonic Space Perception” in next post — different than synethesia which is a clinical diagnosis of crossed wires of sensory perception — intriguing but in the nth degree is debilitating–what color is that music? what does that shape taste like? what do your designs smell like?]

Does your home do this for you?  Make you feel beloved?  In our homes it is a little more challenging because we have to put our own energy in on a regular basis and that’s a bit of an ‘expense’.  BUT!  we all need to have a sacred space in our homes that brings us this soul and spirit nourishment, a space like a favorite tree near a stream, where we don’t inventory the “to-do” list.

Feng Shui is awareness and INTENTION.  Learn the Feng Shui ‘notes’  (rules of placement) and then pause to make sure it “FEELS” right and when it does, your home will play music to your soul.

HOW?  Try this:  start with your flatware drawer.  Turn on some beautiful music you love.  Get into a zone of love, nourishment and gratitude.  Take everything out.  Gently clean it all, all the while thinking nourishment, love, precious, love, etc.  Place everything back with intention, place the

spoons between the knives and forks, place the sharp knives edge down, spend time, romance it, gently return only the flatware to the drawer and love it.

Next time you use those utensils, you will notice the food tastes better, or your family or guests will smile more, laugh a bit more.  It’s an art to take time to create a home that grows love in each moment, it takes intention, stillness, attention and love.  No rush, all in good time.  It makes a difference.  I have tons of stories that show how amazing we are.  You are.  You go!  Tenderness leads to joy and good design leads to healthy families, people and well, nations and beyond.