Switching Things Up in the Home

Check out our newest edition of "Mooney Makes Sense" in the March issue of Boerne Business Monthly. In this series we introduce concepts of rehanging, fluidity and interior design.

Read the magazine here, https://issuu.com/…/docs/march_2016_boerne_business_monthly_

Switching Things Up 
By: Katherine Schevchenko
 
When it comes to hanging art in your home or business, whether it’s time for a complete overhaul or you just want a change, there are many factors to consider in your decisions. The placement, color palette, size and even the subject matter of a piece of art will have a tremendous effect on the mood and energy of a room or workspace. An evaluation needs to be done on what is most desired for that space, and Feng Shui principles can be used to help guide you to arrange the artwork to create positive changes in your home or workspace.

Evaluating Energy
Feng Shui is a philosophical system of arranging elements in order to promote the flow of energy or ‘chi’ within a given space. The main tenet is to arrange the elements in a room to bolster and support the intended purpose for that space. To begin, one would consult a Bagua, which is a hexagonal map that divides the house into different areas of life factors that also corresponds to different elements that influence the inhabitants of the home. For example, the north walls and area of a room correspond with career and the element of water. A painting of flowing river water would be in alignment with that particular energy, and that would be a suitable choice for an office or work space. Typically, one would want to avoid choosing a painting that is dynamic and intense for an area such as the bedroom, where one would rather be in a more restful and peaceful state of mind; a gentle landscape would be more likely to evoke rest. An intensely hued abstract with frantic brush strokes would be more suited for active areas such as living or entertainment rooms.

Size It Up
In selecting artwork for a particular area of the home, size needs to be considered. Is the size of the artwork appropriate for the wall space? Perhaps a couple of medium sized or smaller paintings would be more fitting. Hanging multiple pieces may be desired, as long as the effect does not appear cluttered, causing disorientated and unfocused energy. Clutter is a taboo in Feng Shui, due to its impediment of energy flow. If there are too many artworks, perhaps the best approach would be to store some and then rotate periodically.

Balanced Placement
Ideally, one would want to hang the artwork where the middle will fall at the eye level of an average person. It is advisable to avoid hanging art up too high, if possible. A salon style arrangement can also be considered that goes from floor to ceiling if there are multiple pieces. Place artwork keeping in mind the empty space around the paintings, it should be well proportioned and balanced. Be aware of the artworks placement in relation to furniture and other components in the room.

Switch with the Season
Also, in some cases, seasonal changes are necessary, especially for a business in order to switch out inventory and also the need to keep the environment fresh and evolving for clientele. An imperative step is to evaluate what is still relevant and to eliminate what is not useful to your business or home to prevent clutter and stagnant ‘chi.’ A seasonal change up can be very beneficial to your business by making sure you are presenting the most innovative and current selection to your clientele.
In regards to a retail environment, the ideal way to apply the basics of Feng Shui would be to make your layout with the customer’s best interests in mind in terms of ease of accessibility and aesthetic appeal, especially when it comes to the composition of product placement.

Granted, everyone has an individual aesthetic, and what matters most is does it feel ‘right’ to you? Does the artwork resonate and speak to you? Is it in a space that is best suited for it? There is much to learn from the study of Feng Shui, hopefully this basic introduction will prompt you to explore this fascinating realm of study further.

We’re gearing up to embrace a new season, join us at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art, Suite 400, 305 N. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006 on March 19th 2016, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for the opening of Switch 36, a survey of 6 new artworks from 6 of our locally represented artists! Call (830) 816-5106 for more information.

Katherine Shevchenko-Art Consultant, J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne