Lunch with Ann

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having lunch with Ann Bingley Gallops, a long-time Twitter connection who happens to be a Feng Shui consultant here in Brooklyn, not too far from my woodshop. We met at Cafe K on 18^th Avenue in Boro Park and enjoyed delicious food and great conversation. One advantage a lunch meeting has over Twittering is that we asked questions and exchanged ideas with way over 140 characters! I learned a lot about the art of Feng Shui and I hope Ann learned something about the art of designing and building furniture.

Ann's consultancy is called Open Spaces Feng Shui and you can learn, in great detail, about how she can help you by visiting her website:  openspacesfengshui.com. She is smart, personable, grounded, and sincere in her desire to improve people's lives through the application of Feng Shui.

Borrowing heavily from Ann's website:

Attract good energy, healthy relationships, abundance and prosperity with a "Feng Shui makeover" of your home, office or business. With the best Feng Shui design in your environment you'll get unstuck and begin energetically attracting what you desire into your life and business. During a consultation, you receive step-by-step guidance as to the best Feng Shui adjustments for your home, office or business. From layout to color selection, and from furniture placement to artwork, Ann looks at every part of your space to create an environment that supports you in every way.

Over lunch, we discussed specifically how furniture influences Feng Shui. I learned that the size, shape, color, materials, and placement of furniture all affect the “flow of Chi energy” through your home or office. As a custom artisan, I have the unique ability to optimize all of these characteristics in a beautiful piece of furniture made expressly for you.
 
While looking through my portfolio, Ann noted that my shoji screen, shown here, creates a graceful way to guide Chi energy through a living space while creating divisions within a room. The wood and paper add the elements of Wood and Earth to repair a room that is “out of balance” in Feng Shui terms.

Ann also agreed that custom designed and built furniture can also bring Feng Shui balance to your environment. She noted, for example, that wood is the best material for headboards. A solid headboard with curved lines creates a sense of security, “The Mountain” in Feng Shui terms, which contributes to getting a good night's sleep.

So, if you are looking to energize your life, business, or relationships, give Ann a call and tell her you think that some custom furniture might just do the trick. Also, if you are an interior design professional in the New York City area, or just visiting, give me a call and let's do lunch!