Framing with Feng Shui: an ancient Chinese tradition provides a common-sense method for choosing art and designing framing that creates harmony in the home

Art Business News, June, 2002 by Jennifer Wong

Many frame shop customers walk through the door with little idea of what they want from a framed piece of art. They look to you, the framer, for advice on art selection, frame design and even placement in their homes. It can be challenging to help make such personal decisions with people, especially if they aren't in touch with their own artistic and decorating preferences.

The Chinese principles of feng shui can be a powerful asset in your arsenal of skills when designing framing for a customer. Feng shui is a practical art that brings people and their environment into the most positive and harmonious relationship to each other through the conscious use of color, objects and placement--subjects the framer works with every day. Framers who understand a few key concepts of the practice, which blends science, intuition, ancient wisdom and common sense, can have a profound affect on the well being of their clients.

Originating in China thousands of years ago, feng shui is practiced today all over the world and is gaining more popularity in the United States. "People are looking for a sense of individual identity and stability," said Melani Lewandowski, feng shui master and president of Corporate Feng Shui International in Philadelphia. "We need to find ways for people to establish a sense of knowing and security, and one way we can do that is through choice of material and color in the selection of art and framing."

The `Perfect' Place

Two years ago, a young woman walked out of a frame store with a framed print of a very tall, pointy, prickly red cactus. She told her framer she had found the perfect place for the print on the wall above her bed. Last year, she had a feng shui consultant come to her house. She admitted that she had had trouble sleeping and, while she desired to be in a relationship, had trouble meeting men. The consultant advised her to find another "perfect place" for her dramatic red cactus print. She moved it to her office and brought a relaxing pastoral scene into her bedroom. Immediately, she started sleeping better and two weeks later, she met a man, and they began to date. That was a year ago last spring, and the young woman and her beau are still happily together.

Such stories are not surprising to feng shui practitioners who know that colors, objects and placement of objects--in short, the environment we live and work in--affect our moods and physical well being in ways we are often unaware of. "Whatever we look upon and see through our eyes will, through our optic nerve, send sensory signals to each area of the brain, which, in turn, will send signals to our body to react to what our eyes see," said Lin Yun in his book Living Color: Master Lin Yun's Guide to Feng Shui and the Art of Color. "So the colors of everything our eyes come in contact with will influence our temperament, physical movements, language and thoughts--in short, our lives."

Feng Shui Basics

The objects and colors surrounding us possess, according to feng shui, an invisible energy or `chi' that affects our moods, thoughts and actions. Framers already know that colors, shapes, subject matters and framing materials possess a particular "feel" and can create a powerful or serene "look." For instance, the choice of a vibrantly colored mat board on artwork that has mostly neutral colors transforms the artwork into a dramatic, active or "fun" piece. Understanding that the created look has an inherent energy level or "chi" is a powerful way for framers to work with their clients to create the most beneficial atmosphere depending on the purpose of each room in their client's home.

In general, the role of artwork in feng shui displays the state of one's spirit and should be chosen for one's connection to it and for its symbolism. The proper placement of art in a home should also reflect the client's connection to the piece. In feng shui, locations for deeply expressive artwork are most beneficial in the bedroom, living room, hallway, study and just inside the entrance to the home. However, kitchens and bathrooms have very specific functions and the art should be complementary.

It's important to remember that the following are a list of general guidelines that can be used in most cases, though there are always exceptions to the rules. Obviously, a client's preference for particular colors and framing materials are personal, but you can use this knowledge to make suggestions to help those who want design and hanging guidance.

The Bedroom

The bedroom is considered the most important room in the home according to feng shui practitioners because it is the place for rest and deep relaxation. The qualities of stillness, softness and pleasing textures should be brought into the room. The bedroom is about establishing a boundary between the individual and the rest of world in order to completely relax. "We're not great with boundaries in the West," said Lewandowski, "and we need to work at building them back up."

Artwork and its complementary matboard that possess calming colors of soft greens, blues and rose tones such as mauves and burgundies are very beneficial. Lewandowski added that yellows, which connote trust, can be very effective for older people in their 70s and 80s whose energies are calmed by the color. Avoid using an overwhelming amount of white, black and bold, vibrant colors. Touches of red could be used to inspire intimacy.