England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Interior Design
20 YEARS OF FENG SHUI CYCLE
How to Feng Shui the home for the year of the Dragon
The Year of the Wood Dragon this year coincides with a new 20-year Feng Shui cycle which means it's time for change. February 4th marks the beginning of a new 20-year Feng Shui cycle, lasting until 2044.
This period promises to infuse homes and lifestyles with positive energy and challenge the status quo. Developed over millennia, Feng Shui combines knowledge of land, astronomy, and architecture to enhance fortune, health, and wealth. These principles have shaped various Eastern philosophies, including the Chinese animal calendar and Bazi.
Black and Milk were appointed to design and implement the interior and spatial design of a one-bedroom apartment in Soho, the heart of London's West End. The space provided a unique set of challenges, primarily due to the size, layout, and our client's particular needs. Although small, the apartment lends itself very well to a Japandi interior. As a converted warehouse with floor-to-ceiling windows, we had the advantage of the light and airy ambience it provided the space.
"This ancient and somewhat complicated science aims to bring positive energy into the home. One of the primary principles of feng shui is a separation between different areas of the home, which can be done with black paint”
Creative Director Olga Alexeeva
Black and Milk focused on enhancing the natural light by configuring the loft apartments' spatial design while seamlessly incorporating our client's love of Asian design. As an added challenge, our client was a musician and required a soundproofed space for his grand piano. Who also had a keen interest in feng shui, the idea that optimally balancing your environment's energy can help you feel happy, healthy and at home.
To maintain the spacious open plan feel, sliding and bifold screens were incorporated throughout the loft apartment's interior design to separate the bedroom and dressing room from the living area. The screens were made from Japanese rice paper, a material that transmits light yet allows the rooms to be separated.
The existing beams of the loft apartment were exposed, and the ceiling was raised to curate a vertical space which makes up for the relatively small footprint. The exposed beams make a beautiful statement, especially when they are in a contrasting colour to the rest of the home. We used low-level furniture to open the apartment further and incorporate Japanese design principles. The low-level furniture instantly provides the apartment with a relaxed and welcoming feel. In this apartment, we used colour and sliding screens to separate the living from the sleeping area, the yin from the yang. Yang spaces, such as the kitchen and living area, are active and social, whereas yin spaces are rest-orientated.
The black walls and accents in the bedroom help separate the yin sleeping area from the bright and neutral yang living area. Contrasting colours and Japanese rice paper screens allow the rooms to be divided if needed. More subtle feng shui principles can be seen elsewhere in the apartment. The large, rectangular dining table is framed and balanced by rounded pendant lights, while a sleek black handrail and soap holder takes up the often-wasted area of wall space next to the bathroom basin.By incorporating both Japandi and feng shui principles, we were able to create a tranquil space for our client, a calming respite from the chaotic energy of Soho.
