10 Simple Feng Shui Tips and Advice For Your Office

June 5, 2025

Think about it. Every day we get up, go to jobs we don’t really care about and hold our breath until the weekend. When we finally reach Friday, we feel relieved, but it only lasts for a short time. Saturdays are consumed with all the things we didn’t get to do during the week because we work so hard. We tackle all kinds of fun tasks like going to the cleaners, waiting in line at the bank, and the ever-popular grocery shopping. And let’s not forget the cleaning! If we’re really lucky on Sundays, we can collapse to prepare for another wonderful week. A friend recently mentioned that she feels like she’s living a “Groundhog Day” life, where nothing ever changes. 

Can changing our perspective and a little Feng Shui help? You bet it can! Here are some tips and advice for not only getting through your day but enjoying it as well:

  1. Elevate your entrance, whether to your building, office, or cubicle. Display your name For others to see, allowing it to remind everyone that it represents YOUR space and your power. There is a strong intention behind presenting your name to the universe.
  1. Bring things from home that make you feel good to surround yourself with. Lots of people bring in pictures, and it’s a wonderful idea to create a space filled with people and things that you love. This can remind you of why you work so hard and what you hope to achieve through your work. 
  1. Think positively! Positive thoughts not only send good vibes to those around you (which you will receive in return), but also enhance your energy and allow you to use your time more effectively. Perhaps the author of “The Little Train That Could” knew exactly what he was talking about.
  1. Celebrate a wall for all your accomplishments. Big or small, every achievement you’ve made in life COUNTS. Add to them the things you’ve never done but always wanted to: the trip to Paris that you never had time to take, ballroom dancing, another night class. Combining what you’ve already accomplished with what you hope to create in the future shows you how far you’ve already come and how much farther you can go in life.
  1. What is all this talk about Feng Shui colors? While it’s true that Feng Shui is associated with different colors for various areas of your life, primarily think about surrounding yourself with colors you love. You can later use the Bagua to determine which colors are appropriate for specific areas from a Feng Shui perspective and incorporate them as accent colors. However, your surroundings should consist of colors that make you feel good.
  1. Bagua your desk. Here’s a simple task to consider: you can find a Bagua online and print it out. Hold it in front of you with “Career” facing you and use it as a layout over your desk. The center of your desk relates to health, so keep that area clean and clear. What’s at the back left? That is your Wealth area, where you might want to place something that symbolizes good fortune for financial matters. Feng Shui Consultants often suggest a Red Envelope with 3 or 9 coins inside as a lucky item for that area. Got relationship issues? Check the back right corner of your desk. For relationships, we recommend looking for items in pairs. Two small statues, a photo of two items together, or just two flowers (silk, not dried) can be placed on your computer. Examine each area of the Bagua and decide what would be best to place there, based on what you want to change or achieve in your life.
  1. The Five Elements. I know this can be a bit more complex depending on whether you’re working on a room, a desk, or the entire exterior of a home or business. The elements have both constructive and destructive forces, and you need to be aware of this when using them. If you arrange them in a circle with Fire at the top, moving clockwise to Earth, Metal, Water, and then Wood, you’ll have the correct sequence. Some people wonder what to incorporate when dealing with a small space like a desk. Your Fire elements can be as simple as something red, which symbolizes fire. For Earth? A small plant in a tiny ceramic pot will work perfectly here. You get the idea. No one even needs to know you’re using Feng Shui.
  1. There’s a lot of fuss about Clutter and rightfully so. If you’re surrounded by clutter please remember that it relates to your mind. You can think straight, you can’t find anything or you forget appointments. Whoever came up with the saying ”A Place For Everything and Everything in it’s Place” was a genius. Get more organized and you’ll feel much better and more balanced.

In the world of cubicles many of us find ourselves in, there’s not much we can do to bring the outside in. Or is there? A small picture of a landscape that you love or a tiny desk top water fountain that you hear as well as see are different ways to feel in harmony with nature and your surroundings. If you’re lucky enough to have a window, check your view. If it’s not the most pleasing sight you’ve ever seen, hang a few sun catchers or a small wind chime. Change your perspective and you just might change your life.

  1. Finally, don’t be so worried about changing things around and doing the wrong thing from a Feng Shui Perspective. There is nothing you can change that can’t be changed back if it’s something you’re not in tune with. Try different things out and find what’s making YOU feel better at work. It may not go with every Principle of  Feng Shui but it’s whatever works best for you. And don’t be afraid of change, sometimes it’s good to get things “moving” (yourself included) that have been “stuck”

While you still may get a touch of “Ground Hog Days” now and then, when you walk into your work space now you should feel a new sense of well being and harmony in your surroundings. That and a good cup of coffee are perfect ways to start your day at work!

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Color Meaning And Emotions

May 22, 2025

Red pumps the adrenaline like no other color, and it’s no wonder it stimulates the appetite…can anyone say red dining room? Red is so intense and tiring for the eyes that surgeons wear baby blue scrubs as an eye respite while working on the inside of the human body, which is blood red. Deep reds have a traditional feeling of importance and stature, and bright reds impart adventure. Brick red has an earthier feel and provides a classic, warm, understated look, while cherry red symbolize romance and energy. Either way, red will attract the most attention, so red is an excellent distracter in staging!

 

Orange is the color of enthusiasm, creativity, and warmth. It conjures up images of fast food and advertising. Orange can range from bright yellow oranges to deep terra-cotta and rust. Few use orange “as is” in large quantities, but orange is the source of many more workable hues. Rich oranges can be copper or paprika, which remarkably share the warmth of an earth tone and can be comforting and warm. Pale peach has a lovely, light accent.

 

Yellow is welcoming, sunny, bright, and enthusiastic. There’s nothing like yellow to lift the spirits and lighten the mood: bold yellows and formal gold demand equally intense color companions like royal blue and crimson red. Bright yellows have a vibrating intensity that can be difficult on the eyes and are not suggested in young children’s rooms. Soft yellows with names like wheat, maize, and taffy are ideally suited to walls and furnishings where stronger colors might overwhelm them. Coordinating with almost any other color, soft yellows are easy to live with.

 

Green represents nature and can be tranquil, invigorating, restful, and balancing. It is relaxing and soothing, so it is used in places where people are comforted, whether it is a medical facility or a “green room” where people relax before a performance. Dark greens inspire a more conservative, traditional environment. Lighter, soft greens recall nature and soothing earth tones and look at home in almost any scheme, especially one that includes warm wood. Green is considered the fourth primary as it works well with almost any color.

 

Blues are connected to both sky and water. They are associated with clear thinking and calm, meditative environments (think surgeon’s blue scrubs). Blue also invokes the qualities of loyalty, honesty, and clarity. Blue is a relatively broad color family, including hues as varied as cornflower, cobalt, and cerulean. Bright, breezy blues please children, while less intense versions satisfy more sophisticated tastes. Blue is the coolest color on the wheel, generally producing tranquil feelings and peaceful moods. It is my favorite bedroom color!

 

Purple brings luxury, wealth, sophistication, mystery, romance, and royalty to mind. This mix of emotions is common as some people view it as magical and mysterious, while others as dark and dreary associated with the Victorian era. Rich purples can be used in rooms of quiet elegance and convey a formal look combined with cream, gray, and black. Soft purples like lilac and lavender can be more feminine and create a feeling of splendor, style, and light-hearted romance. The light hues go particularly well in bedrooms or children’s rooms where the mood is cooling, romantic, or whimsical.

 

Neutral colors like white (purity and freshness), black (understated elegance, power, and strength), and brown (stability, security, and comfort) work wonders in any color scheme.

 

 

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Rules Of Placements

April 24, 2025

1. The perfect viewing height for art is 60″ center above the floor.

2. The perfect space between the wall art/mirror and the top of the mantle is 7″.

3. The ideal height to hang your flat-screen TV is eye level when you’re in the viewing position. The ideal viewing distance is 1  1/2 times the size of your flat screen.

4. A bench at the foot of the bed should be at least 2″ shorter than the mattress width.

5. Keep a minimum of 15″ between coffee tables and sofa.

6. Don’t use end tables lower than 30″. The lamps will be much better, and the proportions will be better.

7. To allow better flow and use, there should be a minimum of 36″ of space around your dining table.

8. Light switches should be 36″ above the floor and 1  1/2″ to 2″ off the side. This  way, they are out of the way of your wall art and door casing.

9. The optimal height for a coffee table is 18″ to 20″

10. The typical sconce height for a bathroom is 66” above the finish floor to the center  of the fixture.

11.  A 36’ rectangular table is ideal width. It allows for conversation to the right, left, and, most importantly, across.

12. Typically, an Island should be no more than 8’ long by 5’ wide. Anything more significant will make it harder to clean and will look too massive.

13. Keep your sofa at 6’6” to 7’ long. Any smaller and it looks dwarfish, and any larger and it looks like an airport lounge.

14. Lighting formula: Multiply length x width, then multiply 1.5 = amount of wattage

15. Kitchen lighting. Multiply length x width, then multiply 2.5 = amount of wattage

16. Chandelier for rooms. Add the length plus width to get the width of the chandelier. For example, a 16’x20′ room would use a 36” chandelier width.

17. The chandelier over the table should be 30”-34” from the tabletop, or 60” to 66” above the floor, and half the table’s width. For a 48” table, use a 24” width chandelier.

18. To determine the wattage for a space, multiply LxW to get sq ft. Then multiply that by 1.5 to get the wattage. 

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The Hallmark Of A Beautiful Room

April 10, 2025

There are seven elements to creating a Beautiful Room. Consider these elements and ask yourself if you have met all these requirements.

  1. Balance: Have you achieved balance? Horizontally? Vertically? Color? (three zones?)Texture? (all the same finishes in your accent pieces?) Metal? Is it all satin? bronze?
  2. Harmony: The way the rooms flow together. Do they tell a story or is it chopped up?
  3. Proportion: The way things relate to one another. Ex: Is the lamp the best proportion to the table?
  4. Scale: The way things relate to the room. Ex: Is the sofa the right scale for the room? Or is it too big? Too small?
  5. Color: Does it hit the three zones? Function one 0″-36″ Power  Z0ne  36″-78″  Ceiling  Zone  78″  to  ceiling.
  6. Rhythm & Flow: Keeps the room moving. This is where you’re going to repeat things. Be true to the form. Ex: Round table has round table mat, round accessories. Doesn’t mean everything in the room has to be round!
  7. Style: Does it have flair and have you honoredwhat it is you are trying to achieve?
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Should you paint your fireplace?

October 16, 2020
Painted fireplace, is it a good idea or a bad idea? Tough decision!! As a home stager and redesigner, I often see fireplaces in my client’s home. Some are in great shape, some not so much. When I recommend painting, I usually get this reaction, “Really, you think I should paint it?”.  If your fireplace looks outdated, then it’s definitely worth painting it.
What a Difference!!
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But what if your fireplace looks like this? Then what? Do you still paint it? I have to say; I like the fireplace before it was painted. I also love it after as well. So what do you do? To Paint or not to paint? That is the question. In my opinion, if it looks nice, then leave it alone. Not everyone may like painted fireplaces, and if they do, they can always paint it themselves. Only paint it if it’s in bad shape!
 
Remember, when you’re selling your home, it’s essential to eliminate any potential problems buyers may have. An ugly fireplace is a potential problem. So don’t be afraid to paint the fireplace if you think it may be an issue!

At Abella Home Staging & Redesign, we believe any home can be beautifully transformed. We believe in delivering a custom-made look but without the custom-made price tag!! Call us, and let’s get started today!!

 
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Taking on DIY projects

August 20, 2020

Taking on DIY projects

In today’s economy, we’re seeing more and more homeowners doing DIY projects. DIY projects can potentially save the homeowners hundreds of dollars and increase the value of the home. Although I give kudos to anyone attempting to improve their home, it can be a disaster. How many times have you walked into a house and thought, “who botched up this job?” only to find out that the homeowner did it?

I understand that people are trying to save money ( who isn’t?), but I say don’t take on more then you can handle, or the outcome can cost you money.
When considering doing the job yourself, use these simple guidelines to ensure that you can handle the situation and that it’s being done right.

  • Use resources like Home Depot or Lowes to get ideas of what the project is going to cost and how difficult it’s going to be.
  • If you don’t have the right equipment, consider renting it rather then buying it. That can save you money, of course, you should consider buying it if you intend to do more projects.
  • Ask friends or family who have experience to help you out. You can offer to pay them or barter out your service if you have something to offer them.
  • Find your local trade school and see if they have an apprentice program. Sometimes these apprentices are looking to gain experience or hone their skills. They might be willing to work for very little pay. You will get a knowledge student and a helping hand.
  • Research the project on the internet. You have vast tools at your disposal, use it.

If, after doing your homework, you find out that this might be a bigger job, then you thought, consider hiring an expert. This way, you know it will be done right, and it will probably cost you less in the long run, especially if you started a project, botched it up, and now have to hire a professional to fix it. 

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Vacant Staging, why is it such a tough sell??

August 6, 2020

Vacant Staging, why is it such a tough sell??

Why is it such a tough sell? When you take the cost of carrying the mortgage plus expenses like utilities, times that by the many months it has “Sat” on the market, it can add up to a substantial amount. Staging a vacant home could potentially save the homeowners thousands of dollars, yet they cringe when you show them the cost of staging their home.


Some stagers state the fact that the reason some homeowners don’t want to stage is that they would have to dish out the money. While reducing the listing price is just “paper money.” This may be true, but if you have the chance to increase your profits, why wouldn’t you take it?? Vacant staging works because buyers can’t see the potential of the house. Have you ever looked at MLS listing of a vacant home? Can you tell me what purpose the room serves? 


I recently had a call from a homeowner who had a vacant home on the market. When I looked at the MLS listing, I couldn’t tell which room was the master bedroom, dining room, or family room. The only space I could identify was the kitchen (for obvious reasons!). This was a 3.6 million dollar home!! I should have been “wowed,” but I wasn’t. It has been on the market for over seven months. Imagine the expenses the homeowner is carrying?? Yet when I told her the cost of staging her vacant home, she didn’t want to spend the money. Call me crazy, but I don’t get it. 


When you break it down, vacant staging is worth the cost, so why can’t homeowners see that? The fact that they would rather continue hemorrhaging money is baffling to me. If you take into consideration what it will cost you in the long run, staging a home will save you money. And that my friend is a fact you can take to the bank.
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Staging a Semi-Vacant house

July 23, 2020

Staging a Semi-Vacant Home

Recently I stage what I call a semi-vacant home. What does that mean? Well, it means that the house is indeed vacant, but I was able to use some of the client’s furniture. By doing this, it allows me to keep the cost down, which is what every client wants!!

I don’t normally do this simply because there usually is no furniture in the house. However, sometimes the homeowner has left some furniture behind. If I feel that I can utilize the furniture, then I will.

The before pictures.

In the living room, I had the client remove the two armchairs. I felt they were a bit outdated. I did use the coffee table, the chest by the front door, and the metal end table, as well as the lamps and area rug.

The kitchen needed a table and chairs which the client had.



In the dining room, I kept the table but switched out the dining chairs. I did use the server.


I even used their wicker furniture for the spare room, which I turned into an office.


Here are the after pictures.

As you can see, just by switching out the armchairs and adding a sofa, it completely changed the look and feel of that space. I added my accessories to finish the look.


In the kitchen, I used her table and benches. I set the table and accessorized her kitchen.


Much more updated look just by changing out the chairs. The server was a good fit.

Here is the office. I eliminated all those stuffed animals, utilized her furniture, and used my accessories instead.



As you can see, adding some furniture updated the space. This will entice the buyers to schedule a visit to the home. That is what you want to attract buyers!!
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How did life get so crazy??

July 9, 2020

How did life get so crazy??

We juggle work, family, downtime, and most times, we just don’t have enough time in a day to get it all done. And if you run your own business, well, that’s more time needed when you factor in social networking, social media, and blogging to help bring in more business!! Then there is family. You are taking the kids to practices, games, and whatever activities they’re doing. Holidays come around, family parties that you must attend, spouses that are feeling neglected, friends that haven’t seen you in a while. Can we PLEASE get some downtown?!!! How did life get so crazy??

Especially now during this COVID 19 pandemic. Things have gotten out of hand!!

So what can we do about it?? A long time ago, I was a real estate agent. I had to take a continuing education course. I can’t remember the course, but I got the best advice anyone has ever given me. The instructor gave us some advice on how to juggle all our commitments. This is what he said. Write down every obligation you must do every week on your calendar, Monday through Sunday. These are you must-haves. If your kids have practice every Thursday, write it down. Meeting on Tuesday morning, write it down. Are you getting the picture? Then whatever slots are open/free, you can fill in with whatever you want. Has it helped? You betcha!! 

Here is an example of my schedule. I even color coordinate the events!!


It takes commitment to do this at first, but I promise it does work and it will make a huge difference in your life. Organizing your life doesn’t have to be crazy, it just takes a little bit of planning and some commitment on your part. So worth the effort!!

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Redesigning a Dining Room

June 25, 2020

Redesigning a Dining room

A few months ago, I had a client that reached out to me and wanted to redo her dining room. This was a client that I had done previous designs for in her home. In fact, I just finished designing her kitchen.

As you can tell from the pictures, it needed an update!! We talked about what she wanted in her new dining room. What style she liked and what pieces she wanted to keep. She decided she only wants to keep her hutch. We decided to paint it to give it a more updated look.

I set up a Pinterest board so she can pin some of her favorite pictures of dining room she liked. This gives me a good idea of her style.

Once that was done. It was time to shop!!

Here are the before pictures:


This is the hutch she wanted to keep and we decided to paint.

As you can see from the pictures, it needed to be updated. Once the shopping for the new dining room was done and the items delivered, I set up a date and time to come in and finish the space by accessorizing it.

Here are the after pictures:


What a huge difference. My client was thrilled with the results. Do you have a room you need help designing? Then reach out to me, and let’s get started.
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