Your Home, Your Heart: Transforming House-Building with Personal Passion

  What is Feng Shui? Feng Shui is the art of placing and situating a structure, so it is in harmony with nature. Also known as “Kanyu”, cultural and social issues are influenced by cosmological, metaphysical, and natural factors. To use this ancient technique, you must understand the influence of cosmology on earth. You should also have knowledge of how astronomy and astrology influence the placement of buildings. You also need to understand the Confucian classic, the weathering process, the forces of nature, the magnetic fields and how these all influence us. If you think about it, that is a lot to study. The History of Feng Shui The history of Feng Shui originated in the West Han dynasty around third century BC. Those who practice it believe that the earth is alive with energy. If people built a structure on a land that has revitalizing energy, then they would prosper. If this is placed in a site with bad energy, misfortune will occur. Originally, Feng Shui was used to help pla

Energy efficiency is something we simply cannot ignore. With technological advances in recent years it is becoming easier than ever to conciously design using energy efficient principles. One requirement of a house is that it should be comfortable to live in.  It goes without saying that if it is not habitable, a house cannot be comfortable. To make a house comfortable, certain aspects of civilization are required. We need to have the benefits of technology within the house for us to live in it. Let’s face it: few of us can live without the benefits of technology. Only by having the conveniences of our times available do we stand a chance at having comfortable lives. However, comfort does have a price. To have these technological conveniences we need to consume energy. Energy costs money and, as people will tell you, money is not easy to come by. People try to find ways to save money when possible (at least, the smart ones do). Evidence of this is the way a sale can make a product im

Home design is not only a big business; it can be very enjoyable for you the homeowner. When you’re building your home, or just giving your present home a makeover, taking the lead role in your home design can be a very rewarding experience. Doing your own home design allows you to express yourself in a way that no one else can do for you. Choices not only become easier when you do your own home design, but you’ll find that you have more of them than if you’d hired a professional to do it for you. One of the first things you should consider in your home design project is the function of the room you’re working on.  Function is a key home design factor. It will dictate the majority of what items will go into the room. Two major points in function to consider is the intended use of the room and who will be using it. Naturally, a room which will receive high traffic would need more resilient flooring and furniture than a room which would not get as much traffic. Knowing what the room is

Choosing to build a house is something many of us find overwhelming.  We ask ourselves: ❓where do we start? ❓what do we want? ❓how much is it going to cost?  ❓are we brave enough to think big?  In today's world it can be intimidating to sit down and begin the process of designing your dream home. When I begin anything new I always remember the ancient Chinese saying, “A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step” The first step is to look at how you are feeling about the adventure you are about to embark on. People will feel a multitude of emotions, apprehension and perhaps a little fearful of the journey ahead are very often very present when we choose to begin the process of creating our dream home.  At the same time, there is excitement about starting something you have spent days, months, even years dreaming about.  You are looking at a pristine blank canvas of your dream home.  The first thing to do is clear all preconceived ideas of what a home is and how it is cre