Feng Shui Architecture Blog

The blog of Feng Shui Master Consultant and Teacher Simona Mainini, Dr. Arch.

FENG SHUI CLASS LOS ANGELES: UCLA WESTWOOD CAMPUS

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FENG SHUI FOR DESIGNERS & ARCHITECTS at UCLA EX. in Los Angeles (Westwood Campus)
6-Weeks In-Person Class
Thursday September 26, 2019 – October 31, 7-10 pm

LOCATION

UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in Westwood (adjacent to main Campus)
10920 Lindbrook Drive,
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Room 204D

Closest UCLA Parking Structure 32, Parking lot 36

Register Here for this In-Person Course
Or call 310 825 9061

NOTE: class is taught in Fall, Winter and Spring quarters.
Click the link above for additional schedule.

This Feng Shui class is Los Angeles examines the principles and application of Feng Shui.

Discussion explores:

— The basic theories from which Feng Shui derives;
— How human physiology interacts with the surrounding environment;
— Landscape evaluation and correction;
— Best orientations, layout, colors, and materials based on the occupant’s energy;
— How building orientation and year affects a building’s energy and occupants;
— And applying these principles to a building in varying stages of development.

This class is part of the UCLA Ex. Architecture and Interior Design Department.

2-Unit Credits apply to students enrolled in the Master in Interior Architecture and Certificate in Interior Design.

Space Planning Assignments are mandatory for students enrolled in these programs.

FENG SHUI FOR RESTAURANT DESIGN : The Difference Between Success and Failure

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Feng_Shui_Restaurant_Square350I have recently done a consultation for one of my long-term clients about a chain of restaurants he is currently developing. Having consulted on all his residences before, it goes without saying that he had already learned firsthand about the positive benefits my consultations have had on his life, his family, and of course, his business and success.

This particular consultation got me thinking, for when it comes to Feng Shui for restaurant design the rules and applications of the principles are very different than they are for any other kind of business. (Generally speaking, the application of Feng Shui rules for a business is very different than the Feng Shui rules for a house too, but that’s another topic altogether.) Feng Shui also differs significantly from business to business, which is why it takes time and a lot of experience for a consultant to really learn how to do each of them right. This is also the reason why no book or website addresses them. It’s too difficult! To really master this aspect of Feng Shui you need a minimum of 20 years of continuous practice or more doing different kinds of Feng Shui business consultations.

Luckily for my client, I have consulted for many restaurants before. And not only am I a foodie, but I particularly enjoy seeing my clients who are great chefs and entrepreneurs become successful in their enterprises as they share their culinary gift with others. So when Max, my client, asked me to look at these new restaurants he was developing (along with his partners), I knew exactly what I needed to do.

Feng_Shui_Restaurant_350x500Three of the restaurants under design were simpler to address because they were all new constructions, so I knew exactly where and how to place all the strategic areas that would make a restaurant successful and brainstormed with the architect about it until we got the layout completed. However, the fourth building we worked on, posed a different challenge. In the past it had been the location of two different, very famous restaurants. The first one was extremely successful and after a few years (when the lease was up) it moved next door and into a bigger space. The following tenant invested a significant amount of money to completely renovate the premises, but sadly, this new restaurant business ended up in disgrace before the first lease term was even up.

If you are reading this and are an entrepreneur or an investor, your first thought would be “bad management”. But in my experience, if the Feng Shui is good, you do not just go from the stars to the dust in less than one term lease, no matter how ‘bad’ you are at managing the place. So when I consulted for this building I knew that the answer to why the first occupant succeeded and the second one failed had to do with the renovation done in between the two businesses. More importantly, I knew the key to my client’s future success had to do with correcting whatever mistakes had been made during the previous renovation.

So I did some research and I was able to reconstruct the layout of the first space—which was entirely different from the layout I was observing during my inspection. I was made aware of water features that had been removed, entrances that had been shifted, management offices that were relocated, and kitchen layouts that were modified. In short, the entire space was turned around. And that is what made the whole difference in the success and failure of the two different restaurants.

It was quite a task doing the research and coming up with a solution that was Feng Shui efficient, cost effective, and design compatible for my client and their architect. But that is my job and luckily for my client I was there to assist him with making his restaurant successful, making his investors happy, and improving everybody’s life—including the future patrons of this new restaurant.

Imagine how sad it would have been if they had launch their project with a 4 million dollar renovation budget and no Feng Shui plan in mind, just to tank miserably like the previous restaurant owner had done?

And what about your business, your office, your manufacturer, or your store? Are you willing to risk hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions in investments without having a good Feng Shui business plan in place? Think about how much more profitable your investment could be simply by having my Feng Shui business consultation first!

Are you in need of a feng shui consultant for your restaurant? Give me a call at 310 860 8989 or email me at dr.simona@fengshuiarch.com. I am sure I can assist you in making it more successful, just like I did for this satisfied business client.

For more Feng Shui Classes and Courses, please visit our Feng Shui Training Center Here.

For personalized Feng Shui Consultations for your house or business, find more information here.

5 Most Popular Feng Shui Myths: Is the Feng Shui Door always Red

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Feng Shui Myth Crystal

As any Traditional Feng Shui Master will tell you, all you really need are the five basic elements– fire, earth, metal, water, and wood– to change the energy field of your home or office if it has bad Feng Shui. This is supposing that you’re not planning to remodel or do any new construction. If you are, you can plan it all in advance and perhaps not even need all of these five. The goal of a good Feng Shui Master is to incorporate the correction without anybody noticing, but the benefits will affect the occupants subtly and efficiently.

Paradoxically, the information pool available on-line or on the bookstore’s shelves are full of so-called “experts” calling out for all sort of “remedies” which really have nothing to do with real Feng Shui. This is what we call Feng Shui Myths.

Let’s check out some of the most popular myths:

Feng Shui Myth #1. RED DOOR. The idea of the red door is that red (a substitute for the fire element) will always bring good luck, so it must be on the door to bring good luck in from the entrance. WRONG!

In most cases the color red serves as an enhancer, and by putting it randomly by or on the door all you’d do is enhance any energy that is in that area. Statistically speaking, less than one in ten houses will benefit from having the fire element located at the entrance. More likely, if a household is experiencing problems, there is a good chance that the door be located in an area that does have a problematic energy. Adding red is only going to increase this problem, not take it away. So, do not paint the door red unless so advised by a trusted consultant. (I have dedicated a whole article to the Money Door and you can find it under the category “Feng Shui House”)

Feng Shui Myth #2. HANGING CRYSTALS FROM THE CEILING. They started out being real crystals and then ended up being simply lead crystals. For how pretty they may be, they are absolutely not related to Feng Shui, whether natural or synthetic. They’re usually recommended to remedy a “bad design shape” or a “posing arrow” (pointing corner), but in reality they have absolutely no power to do so. While real natural crystal will effects your so called “subtle” bodies in a very light manner, it is often not enought for correcting the effects of bad Feng Shui. The size of a building is much bigger and the movement of energy caused by a design feature will not change by hanging any crystal, big or small, real or synthetic, in it. You need to address the matter for what it is and use designer solutions to correct the problem. So save your money on the crystals, specially the synthetic ones, which are definitely a myth.

Feng Shui Myth #3. WATER AT THE ENTRANCE. This is a confusing Feng Shui myth becasue there is actual truth in it. Water can be very powerful to create more financial success in a building. I have seen it done so many times, but the location of the water really depends upon the characteristic of each specific building: sometimes it is in the front, but, in many cases, surprise– it could be in the back or even in one of the corners. It’s use is also sometimes temporary and sometimes permanent. To install an external water feature could be quiet expensive and requires quiet a bit of maintenance, so if you want one make sure you place it in the right spot.

Feng Shui Myth #4. FU DOGS. It’s not the animal represented that does the trick, but the element they’re made of. Those “ugly” twin dogs that look like lions were originally made of solid bronze– a.k.a. metal – which is the reason why they were so effective as Feng Shui corrections for eliminating problems. The modern counterpart– usually made of plastic or clay – have absolutely no effect. So if you do want to use Fu Dogs, make sure they’re made of the real element for the most effect.

And the number one myth of all:

Feng Shui Myth #5) FENG SHUI MIRRORS. Books are redundant about using mirrors to attract good energy and reflect away bad luck. But a piece of news: mirrors aren’t that smart to know which energy you’d like to attract and which you’d like to reject. This myth comes from the old days when mirrors were solid heavy pieces of polished metal. Back in those days the Feng Shui Master would visit a house and suggest to place a mirror here or there. But what was being effective as a correction was not the reflectivity of the mirror but rather the metal element it was made off (like the Fu Dogs above). Obviously, “charlatans” Feng Shui Masters wouldn’t know this nowadays. So do not choose any Master who uses a lot of mirrors.

Any other Feng Shui myth you’ve been wondering about? E-mail me the description and I’ll let you know if it’s truth or myth at dr.simona@fengshuiarch.com. To learn more about real, authentic Feng Shui and how to correct house and office problems harmoniously and effectively, join us in our online live and self-study classes available all year round. Check out our schedule for 18-weeks or 12-video Advanced Feng Shui Program and our Feng Shui Professional Consultant Program.

For more Feng Shui Classes and Courses, please visit our Feng Shui Training Center Here.

For personalized Feng Shui Consultations for your house or business, find more information here.

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