Design For Energy | Feng Shui with Belinda Mendoza | Personal & Business Feng Shui in Austin, TX

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Feng Shui for a Positive Mindset

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The art of Feng Shui is all about harmony in our environment and helps to create optimism and inspiration.

In our current times, it’s easy to get depressed and anxious. Mental health statistics show suicide as the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, ages 10-34 with 13.6% of adults 18-25 having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year. Social media can fuel fears and affect our mental health.

It is important to create a space that makes you feel good and sets you up for success. Check in with yourself by asking, “How is my emotional well-being today?” It is important to talk with friends and family. Everyone deserves Mental health support when they need it so allow the topic to not be taboo in your life. As important as it is to check in with your space and the flow of energy, it’s just as important to do a mental check.

Feng Shui tips for a positive mindset:  

  • Surround yourself with positive messages and motivational quotes. Create an inspiring Vision Board you can see everyday.
  • Stay in the present moment (don’t focus on the past or the future which has not occurred yet)
  • Stay creative! Begin a new hobby like painting pictures or re-purposing old items.
  • Journal your thoughts and fears so you are aware of your thoughts. It helps to release them.
  • Write positive affirmations daily or for the week. Place them where you can see them.
    • Here are some examples: 
      • ” I am balanced in body, mind, and spirit.”
      • “I feel safe, protected, and loved at all times.”
      • “The Universe always has my back.”
  • Be grateful and practice gratitude each day
  • Begin a meditation, centering, or prayer practice. Join a group if you feel isolated. Start one in your home.
  • Get in touch with Mother Earth daily by putting your bare feet on the ground. If you are at the beach, put your feet in the water. The sound of water and the feel of earth’s energies coming up from the soil or sand is transformational.
  • Get rid of clutter in your space. Clutter is a big energy drain and can cause depression.
  • Add plenty of light to your space, avoiding florescent bulbs. You can even add a salt lamp to each room as this improves air quality and mood.
  • Add mood-lifting scents to your home like eucalyptus, mint, bergamot, lemon, orange, and Ylang-ylang.
  • Add drops of oil to a diffuser to scent a room or just place some in your hand and inhale.
    • Quick tip: Carry essential oil roll-on bottles for on-the-go relaxation. It’s an easy way to stay grounded, calm and peaceful.
  • Create an altar in your home. This can be a table or shelf with some of your favorite things that make you happy.
    • In feng shui, an altar consists of 5 elements.  Fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Place something symbolic of each element.
    • Add a picture of your family, friends, ancestors, mentors or other spiritual guides to this area.
    • Place intentions in a red envelope for good luck and prosperity.

How to incorporate the five elements into your home:

  • Fire – a warm candle
  • Water – bowl of water
  • Wood – a plant or wood item (including wooden furniture)
  • Metal – wind chimes, bells and coins
  • Earth – rocks, dirt, ceramics, bricks, tiles or crystals

If you are having challenges in your life, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. This includes the 988 Lifeline that is recommended by the CDC which is available over call, text or chat. Talking to someone neutral and unbiased can help process your feelings. There are many wonderful tools and resources you might not be aware of.

Feel free to set up a Zoom session with me so we can create an uplifting environment for you today.

Sending you positive chi,

Belinda

Feng Shui Your Closet

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In the art of feng shui, each area of your home is a life area. With that said, closets are just as important as any room in your home. Depending on the area and floor plan of your living space, your money area might be a closet so it’s an area that shouldn’t be ignored or forgotten.
How to keep your closet’s energy at its maximum potential and that area of your life moving:
Closets often get ignored, cluttered or closed. Naturally, it can tend to be a one stop spot for clothes we’ve forgotten about, items we haven’t seen in months or other miscellaneous items that don’t have a real ‘home’ in your home. Needless to say, it doesn’t matter if it’s a storage closet for things you don’t use, it can still greatly affect your life. For starters, start with a basic declutter whether that’s the Marie Kondo method of finding what brings you joy or simply eliminating things that no longer serve you or are of use to your daily routines. This is a great opportunity to find these items a new home. Does your neighborhood have a buy/sell/trade page? This is an easy way to declutter and remove these items in a sustainable way. You can also refer to this simple recycling guide for items that can be safely recycled in Austin. Not only does it feel great to reduce clutter in an Earth-friendly way, but it’s also boosting the energy in this area with a simple task that frees up space for things you do use and need.
You should also have good lighting to find items easier and try keeping things organized by categories using The Home Edit method or any other color coding way that helps you stay organized. Try using the saying: “a place for everything and everything in its place” for inspiration and remember how easy it will be to reorganize when things get cluttered again because everything will have its own home. Did you know? Color can actually affect your state of mind and how balanced you feel in a space! You’d be surprising how arranging by color can mentally sort through the clutter on its own. It’s a great way to walk into a room feeling clear headed and stress free.
Feng Shui areas of abundance to remember: 
Southeast: Money
South: Fame
Southwest: Relationships
North: Career
Northwest: Helpful People and Mentors
Northeast: Spirituality and Self-Cultivation
Lastly, remember that by sending me just a few pictures, I can help set up a Feng Shui your closet Zoom session to help keep prosperity flowing at any point. Happiness, joy, and organization is at your fingertips. I’m just one call away at 512-740-1251.

Refresh Your Interior with Feng Shui for Fall

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We reached record breaking temperatures this summer and as we begin to reach cooler months, it’s almost time to prepare our home and make way for autumn’s harvest. I’ll be sharing some easy ways for you to refresh your space for fall for even more prosperity to fuel the rest of your 2023. It’s said that autumn calms our yang energy and makes our chi yin with nature in perfect harmony.The first day of fall is officially on September 23, but the good news is it’s never too early to get details in order now and start planning the interior of your space. The personality trait for fall is focused on relationships, gratitude, and self-reflection – all are key priorities to keep in mind.
  • A big signal for fall and an easy way to differentiate your home or office from summer is through color. Hues of reds, oranges, yellows, and earthy tones are all auspicious colors, but don’t forget metals too as these symbolize strength and intelligence. Earthy tones make your space cozy and inviting which is important as we enter a time of year when friend and family gatherings are frequent. Earthy tones also connect your home to the grounding energy of Earth, a great way to end the year. Colors can be showcased through pumpkins, fall foliage, home decor, photos, blankets, pillows, wreaths, dinnerware and other accents. Store your summer feng shui essentials in bins for the next year and label for easy access, it’s a great way to keep your home clean and easily switch seasons and reduce clutter.
  • Since the yin energy of fall will intensify, you can expect the yang energy of summer to settle as you enter a season of comfortable temperatures and an opportunity for higher abundance to enter your life. Autumn naturally has quite soothing colors associated so finding creative ways to spotlight these throughout your space can make all the difference. Add accents of metal as well and mirror the effect that fall has on nature, the season of letting go as leaves fall from the trees, we are similarly reordering our space for something new as well. Metal helps to cultivate more joy and focus, you can incorporate whites as this pairs well with metals. Do this by adding fresh white sheets to your bed. Just as the trees are releasing leaves, let go and declutter to make room for new opportunities and new growth.
  • A great way to refresh your home and increase prosperity is to cleanse your home at the start of a new season as well. This can reset your space for the next four months ahead and prepares it for the transformative energy in fall. Looking to balance fall chi energy? Yang energy settles down in fall, but you can attract some of it back with your home accents and that use of color we talked about earlier. You can also do this by activating fire energy, this can be through candles or the use of a fireplace if you have one in your home. You can also use string lights, fairy lights or battery operated flickering candles to brighten dark rooms or corners, this makes a room more inviting and relaxing. Candles are an easy way to create a soothing scent and energy in a room, want to boost this even more? Try out a soy based, crackling wooden wick candle! This adds a calming sound to the room especially if you want to pair it with an ambience video playing in the background while you work, cook or read. You can easily search “fall ambience” on YouTube if you have guests over or just want to add an extra touch while you’re at home or working. You might even get some decor ideas this way.
  • Don’t forget to set your intentions and start a gratitude jar! Both play a big role in autumn months and allow you to put into the universe what you are hoping to achieve and appreciate heading into September.

If you would like to get more tips on how to refresh your interior for fall, you can contact me at 512-740-1251 to schedule a consultation or appointment, or if you are interested in a space clearing for your fall reset.

Blessings,
Belinda

Incorporating Sustainable Design Elements into Your Home

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In the art of Feng Shui, the main goal is good health. We can have a successful career, a healthy relationship, money growth, and more with good health. When we discuss the importance of your environment to help you stay healthy, we mention several things: keep clutter to a minimum, keep a dust-free home and office, low EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies caused by electronics like TVs, power lines, etc.) and the harmonious placement of furniture as well as colors.

Here is an article with tips for designing a space to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.

With the United States working toward a net-zero economy by the year 2050, sustainability has become a hot-button world in the real estate world. Simply put, there is no way that a resource-guzzling home will have a chance of standing out amid tightening government regulations and a more conscientious consumer base. Therefore, from improved durability to advanced energy efficiency, keep reading for some common sense ways to incorporate sustainable design elements into your home.

Durable Interior Walls Accents 

Stone has long been a favorite material to use in exterior projects. Its natural appearance and outstanding durability make it a great material to thrive outdoors. 

However, modern homeowners are looking for ways to leverage these benefits on the interior of sustainably-built homes. There are many advantages to stone veneer interior walls. Not only does their textured aspect add depth and dimension to interior design concepts, but they are far more durable than wallpaper or drywall. They will be extremely resistant to scratching, denting, fading, or any other type of damage, greatly limiting the resources required for ongoing maintenance and upkeep. 

Energy Efficient Appliances 

One of the most straightforward ways to improve sustainability in your home is to add energy efficient appliances. It does not take any major structural renovations to choose EnergyStar certified models over less efficient options. According to EnergyStar, if every home in the United States were to incorporate EnergyStar certified appliances into their homes, homeowners would prevent carbon emissions equal those of 215,000 cars. By doing your part and choosing more efficient appliances for your home, you are doing your part to help society reach this goal.

Sound Mitigating Panels 

How does sound insulation help in the quest for sustainability? 

Well, one of the prevailing aspects of sustainable design is an open concept that allows light to flow freely throughout a space. While this does wonders for controlling electricity consumption, it can cause some unwanted sound transfer within the space. 

Therefore, it is a great idea to use sound-absorbing panels as part of an open interior design concept. Modern panels are wrapped in decorative fabrics and cut into architectural shapes, such as hexagon acoustic panels, that add to the interior ambience of a space. As most acoustic panels can achieve their maximum noise reduction coefficient with only 15-25% wall coverage, it leaves plenty of open wall surface for other types of decor. 

In addition to their utility in promoting an open design concept, most modern acoustic panels are fabricated from recycled cotton, wool, or polyester, making them a sustainably sourced solution.

Quartz Countertops 

Most homeowners love the stately stone aspect of marble or granite countertops. While there is no denying the beauty of these surfaces, they can be a bit porous if not regularly sealed, leading to staining and bacteria growth that can require quite a bit of ongoing attention. 

Therefore, a lower maintenance countertop solution is quartz. Using the powder from mineral quartz and bound with a nonporous epoxy resin, engineered quartz surfaces are impermeable to any type of liquid penetration. They are also highly resistant to any kind of heat or impact damage, making them one of the lowest-resource countertop solutions for ongoing maintenance. 

LED Lighting 

Using LED lighting for an energy efficient interior has kind of become cliche at this point, but for good reason: LED lighting works. 

When choosing LED bulbs over standard options, homeowners are guaranteeing that more useful lumens are produced and less light is wasted. If you replaced all of the light

bulbs in your home with LED models, you would likely see a 60-70% reduction in energy use for lighting, with some homes noticing up to a 90% energy savings. 

Hurricane Grade Windows 

As mentioned earlier, the open interior concept is a strong choice in energy efficient design because it promotes the flow of natural sunlight. To leverage this concept to the fullest, homes must increase their window area to promote sunlight transmission. 

While this is largely beneficial from an energy efficiency standpoint, it can create some issues if the windows are not high quality. Weaknesses in the window-to-wall transitions can create some compromises in the home’s building envelope, leading to elevated heating and cooling costs. 

Therefore, if you are looking to add window area to increase natural light flow into your home, it is best to build with hurricane grade storm windows. These advanced windows use steel frames and fortified glass to withstand high winds and heavy projectile impact, keeping the building envelope well-sealed in all types of weather conditions. 

Get Started Today On Adding Sustainable Elements to Your Home 

Sustainability features are paramount in designing a high-quality home in 2023. Not only will it help you save on your utility bills, but it will guarantee that the home has a place in an increasingly conscientious market. For more ideas on how to add sustainability features to your property, contact Design for Energy today for a consultation! 

Natalie Akins is a freelance writer that loves sharing her knowledge and expertise on interior decorating and remodeling. She lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas where she enjoys spending time with her husband and decorating with her children. Natalie’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource site.

Home Designs for Millennials. Who knew they had a built-in sense of Feng Shui?

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There is often an exchange between newer and older generations that involves learning from one another. Many millennials are in the know of the latest trends and styles which can be a helpful way to update traditional feng shui practices and modernize them in a way that feels fresh and new.

Specifically, millennials have an approach to home decor that takes a special kind of eye. They are unique in that they grew up without things like technology but now are well versed in these spaces having grown up with the latest and greatest from this new era. That said, they are readily following social trends and know what’s in style when decorating a home and surprisingly, many of these styles follow feng shui practices.

Here are the 10 best millennial-approved home decor ideas with feng shui in mind:

1. World map artwork

Not only is this a great way to visualize one’s love for travel, but it acts as a vision board of sorts and can attract abundance with the colors but also with the intention. If you are wanting to travel, this is a great way to attract that. Similarly, a globe can also act as a symbol of knowledge, education, luck and career progression. Place it on the West wall of your office.

2. Tropical prints 

In feng shui, the color green represents the Wood element and it’s an auspicious color that attracts abundance and promotes good energy in a room. Tropical prints are a great way to brighten a room and make rooms feel more welcoming, especially when mixed with real plants throughout. You can even include this in your pillow decor for a pop of color and a representation of fresh energy, growth, and new beginnings.

3. Gold accents

Metal and brass are essential in feng shui and can greatly improve a sector so implementing furniture, stools, carts, or stands with gold or brass accents into your decor can be helpful. You can even find planters with brass/gold accents to create balance and harmony. The Metal element is represented by round shapes and metal colors or items and represents wealth and money. We often recommend adding a metal wu lou luck gourd to a room or a brass bell as energy balancers for specific issues. These types of additions to your decor are all great ways to stabilize negative energy.

4. Circular rugs

Rugs are a great way to make a space feel cozy, but also circle rugs in particular represent peace and help calm energy down in your space for good chi flow. The round shape is considered harmonious and follows feng shui recommendations and doesn’t disrupt energy but rather enhances it. There are many different styles and patterns to choose from and give rooms extra character in a way that doesn’t take up space or create clutter.

5. Gallery wall

Photo walls, or gallery walls, are excellent ways to organize photos in a living space. In feng shui, photos are a great way to improve energy flow and represent your home or office in a way that feels true to you. The only exception is the bedroom which is typically where you would instead put furniture ‘pairs’ to create symmetry and attract love. In other rooms, photos increase the positive chi and bring your environment into alignment with your goals and your life. This is a great opportunity to showcase loved ones, people who inspire you, people who have guided you and other images of important moments that were captured. It is best if all photos are on one focal wall and not all over the house as it enhances family, friends, and unity. The East wall is considered the family wall.

6. Rattan decor

Wood elements represent vitality, growth, and opportunities. Wood is also a great way to expand and attract good energy while improving creativity. Similarly, rattan furniture and accents are very popular today and come in a variety of forms including picture frames, tables, mirrors, wall art and shelving. This is especially popular among millennials and as part of the wood category, it’s a symbol of both life and growth.

7. Diffuser or incense

Aroma diffusers have quickly gone mainstream in the last few years and are a hit for younger generations who use them to improve their mental well-being. The power of scent is important in feng shui and can promote love, joy, creativity, peace, and harmony. Diffusers are closely tied to self-care and scents like lavender are great for sleep.

8. Succulents

Live plants like succulents are easy ways to improve the air quality and energy of a room. They are easy to maintain and require little upkeep which is likely why they grew in popularity. Plants are easy additions that increase abundance if taken care of and watered. They attract prosperity, good health and good luck.

9. Natural healing crystals

Many stores have made healing crystals a must-buy for millennials, but they are great items when thinking about feng shui because they can be placed in different rooms for different purposes. For example, rose quartz (an earth element) in the bedroom attracts love. Clear quartz for clarity and harmony – tied to water and metal elements. Amethyst has a high spiritual vibration that boosts spiritual growth, wealth, and abundance – tied to the wood element. Bonus: amethyst clusters (or geodes) attract true abundance and enhance your energy even further. Jade for good health, harmony, and protection including activating family – tied to the wood element. Citrine for wealth and abundance – tied to the earth element. Tiger’s Eye for your overall well-being – tied to earth element. Pyrite for wealth and abundance – tied to the metal element. This also helps to balance masculine and feminine energies. Hematite can absorb negative energy and is helpful for focus and wisdom including your career – tied to the water element.

10. Agate coasters

Taking healing crystals one step further, agate coasters are stylish but purposeful as agate has a calming and grounding effect that can balance yin and yang energies for optimal alignment and balance. Agate can also be used to cleanse the aura of a space and is often used to provide gentle healing and energy replenishment.

There are other ways that modern home decor can translate into feng shui improvements, but these should get you started. To learn more about home decor that best suits your space, contact me at 512-740-1251. To learn more about which crystals and oils best suit you or your issue, schedule a free 30-minute phone session with me anytime.

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