To my fellow Activerainers, a true Feng Shui Test for you. These are real pictures of a place requesting Feng Shui Help in Dix Hills, Long Island. I would love to hear some comments on what YOU would do to this space either in Feng Shui, Decorating or both.
Here's the background and then some pictures: This is a non-profit, high functioning adult residence home located in Dix Hills, Long Island, New York. I was emailed several months ago for help but after completing the project last year I felt I couldn't take it on. This place is unable to keep staff, I was told it was like a revolving door. And the residents were in a bit of chaos. People's morales were down, there is no money coming in to help and they were looking for some Feng Shui solutions.
I suggested they contact the New York City Feng Shui Guild and felt sure since they have so many members someone or a group would help them. And apparently they were told they could not. I received an email with these pictures (and more) asking for help and really didn't know how to respond; I just am so busy right now. Taking the time to review the pictures and give them a Feng Shui perspective and suggestions was going to take some time. I emailed the director back that I just couldn't at the moment and received another email back saying that he, too, felt that he had tried everything, wasn't happy and would be leaving also.
Well, that's one way to get me. How sad I felt reading that and I couldn't NOT help. I spent quite a bit of time the other night reviewing all the pictures (of which I am posting just a sampling) but knowing the history of the workers, what would YOU change in this place? And remember that it is non profit which means anything that costs much money at all simply could NOT be done.
Here are some of the pictures of the Adult Residence located in Dix Hills, Long Island, New York asking for Feng Shui assistance; I would love to hear your recommendations:
A picture of the Main office where the staff keeps leaving.
Another shot of the office.
One of the hallways.
The "lounge" area
Another part of the lounge area also showing the opening into the office and a resident's room.
The hallway leading to the bathroom of the residence.
Another long hallway from a different angle, leading to the office space.
Just one of the resident's rooms.
I would love to hear if you would work here and what changes you would make for an inexpensive "fix" to help the staff stay and help the residents be calmer. A CHI STAR just might be awarded for the best answers to a place with poor Feng Shui!
They can start by turning those desks around, facing the wall is awful! They need to clean that place up, it is a mess, no wonder everybody is distressed and depressed, it is cluttered. The lighting is terrible, the place is dark and depressing, the rugs look like they have seen a better day and it needs paint. I hope that Laundry basket, mop and vaccum are not permanent fixtures in the hallway. Do they have closets or storage space anywhere?
Dix Hills is a wealthy community with a very high tax base that is directed mostly toward the education system which is excellent. There must be a way to get the community to pitch in here. Have they tried a fund raiser of some kind? Maybe the community involvement will help the employees bond a bit if nothing else. Perhaps they can get some students to volunteer to help.
They should put one of the employees on a letter writing campaign to large companies appealing for donations. Bill Gates money could certainly do some good here.
First, it just needs decluttering.
Second, it needs warming up. It is cold.
Then, when the first two are done you can address Feng Shui issues. Small things are easy to do. In Feng Shui, you don't leave the toilet seat or cover up, for instance (who wants to look into a toilet bowl? but the FS idea is that your luck will go down the drain).
But is it really a Feng Shui issue? Is there something else going on? What is the history of the building? (I collect ghost stories so have to wonder about other types of energy there.) Was someone killed there, or died tragically?
You might need more than someone with Feng Shui expertise.
Best regards,
Mary
(HauntedRealEstate.com)
Get rid of the overall manager and hire someone that can keep the place clean and organized
hi Carole,
I sense a deep mixture of hope and despair in this space. One keeps cancelling out the other and hence no progression can be made . When a person feels that no progession can be made, they enter a depression or limbo state and eventually decide to leave. Hence the big staff turnover.
The walls are dingy and the paint needs to be a more satiny finish and warmer tones like soft buttermilk yellow.
The carpets are far too dark and draw your gaze downwards into a heaviness. What is under the carpeting ? Perhaps they can lift those carpets and if they can't afford to buy more (maybe a local carpet company will donate neutral tone lighter carpeting ) , perhaps the underlying floor is not too bad or can be painted. Then they could put some pretty scatter rugs here and there that add hope and vitality to place.
It lacks a 'sense of home' .
The bulletin board in the office is off centre on the wall it is on. I sense this brings an offbalance feeling since it stands out so highly there on it;s own. It needs to be either balanced with something else on the wall next to it, or rehung so that it is centered. Perhaps it could be removed altogether and put in a less conspicuous place and an inspirational painting or piece of art could be hung there instead.
REplace those letters on the wall with signs letters in a calming colour such as soft beige or earthtones. The letters should say things like 'Strength' 'Beauty' 'Joy' 'Live Love Laugh' etc
I agree with the other commenters, too much clutter and disorganization and out of balance big heavy things on the desk spaces.
Hallways need to be totally cleared and they need to be painted a soft buttermilk yellow and perhaps a few small inspiritional pieces of artwork hung.
the end tables in the reception area are crowding the chair and boxing it in. they need to be moved away from it a bit and also adding some low light level plants on the tables or floor plants nearby might help.
The shelves above the beds really bother me. I get the sense of falling objects and heaviness above the sleeping fragile person on the bed below. Remove those shelves and instead put shelves at the end of the bed or elsewhere in the room for the residents belongings.
I guess that is all I have for recommendations ...just my gut feelings on the place. Needs a cheerier more hopeful and lighter atmosphere , more artsy and open and loving. I think they should consider playing YoYo Ma music and Andrea Bocelli amongst others.
I also agree with Mary that possibly the place needs a clearing. Negative energy from past occurrences can realy hang around and affect everything. sorry for the book, i guess i got carried away. ((-:
jo
The double door entry is partially blocked by a sofa or futon. Blocking doors, hallways, windows etc is not good (blocks the flow of energy). Things need to be (and feel) open and accessible.
In the living room, there are scales right next to the television set. This really gives a mixed message. Relax. Worry! Can the scales go in the laundry room? The garage? How about dumping the huge thing and using a small electronic one instead, and maybe putting it away when not in use?
I agree with Jo-Anne about the colors. Red carpets and white floors? How about moving to some soothing, soft, non-oppressive earth tones (sage or light green walls, taupe carpets)?
Hallway: get the cleaning junk out. Get the colors fixed. Add art - something pleasant and homey. Right now the hallway looks like an industrial closet at an office complex. Who'd want to live there?
So:
Declutter (it's badly overstuffed now)
Warm up with colors and decor
Fix things that are off-kilter (blocked doors, I agree about the shelves over the heads of sleeping folks)
Make each room or area consistent with its purpose: Living Room for relaxing, halls for walking through easily and without obstruction,etc.
It would not hurt to have an intuitive come through and help clear the space.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Mary
Laurie, they cannot afford paint or carpet. I worked on a huge community service project last year which absolutely drained me but ended up being wonderful. It was a non profit Elderly residence and people right in the neighboor had never even heard of the place. It took alot of begging for donations, time and money and I wish I was up to this one! Sad that not many people think of "Giving Back." Thanks for the comments and thoughts.
Laurie M., I know that town has money, as does the non profit I did last year in Bayville. I wrote and called everyone including the town heads and mayor and was not given any help to pull it off. It was much more then reviewing pictures, it was trying to restore the place.....we did it but I am not up to another one this year. If you (or anyone) wants to read about it, it is on my website under "Community." Thank you for the advice, how anyone can find anything is beyond me. http://www.FengShuiLI.com
Larry, thank you for stopping by. The other person is a top producer, doesn't that make you wonder if there just MIGHT be something to this after all? Thanks for your comment.
Mary, thank you for the comments, it was very sad for me to see this and then hear the one dedicated person who was trying was leaving. As I mentioned, I took two years of parapsychology in college and we believe very strongly in Feng Shui with Predessessor Energy....I had asked about the history, it is a house, not a building and they weren't aware of any particular problems from the previous owners. Feng Shui does address that all the time, I have had more calls from people that believe they have "ghosts" or negative energy and the Blessing we were given are SO powerful. I believe these people, I have experienced it on a few occasions in their homes but it's something people don't talk about! Many of your suggestions and Jo-Annes are exactly the ones I sent. It is COLD and univiting and people are leaving. And energy is blocked in many places as you mentioned......Thank you for taking the time to review it too, it is bothering me as well.
James, I belive this person is (or was) truly dedicated to helping these people and this place. Having worked with a non profit previously I can tell you they pay minimum wage or get volunteers. People are not easy to replace if you can find them at all.
Jo, you picked up on a lot of the suggestions I sent, specifically to him. They can't afford paint or rugs so I have to think "dollar" store on this but certainly inexpensive, pretty posters and those things over the residents heads are the worst place for them. Some plants for Life Force. And it is NOT home by any means....to the staff or residents. I will post more on what I suggested later but you can see the energy is also blocked just about everywhere you go. There are inexpensive things they can do that will make a difference and a blessing is definitely needed. It makes me sad that people forget about the truly needy here and no, they don't donate. I did so much begging last year for my project and still spent a huge amount of money...but the place is WONDERFUL now, they are STILL getting lots of help! I wish I had the time and money to do it for this place. I will post my suggestions more in depth later but thank you all for the comments and thoughts; you are seeing and FEELING exactly what I am.
Hey Carole this is awful...this reminds me of a "bad" bungalow shack that you would find in some youth group campground...YUCK. I would be glad to help you out on this one. To start the red dirty carpeting needs to GO!!
For a sleeker, more streamlined look that will house all clutter on desks, go to Home Depot and get a countertop in a beautiful formica to fit along wall if L shape with a nice curve at end to house another chair. File cabinets and or small table that can house fax machine or other printers etc can be rolled under this counter. The counter can be a bit higher for comfort since you can control the height. I did this in an office i worked at years ago. Paint is the next thing that MUST be done, and those beds, give me a break.
Email me a room at a time via my personal email and I will be thrilled to give you some suggestions, paint colors and whatever else we can come up with together, it will be fun! No wonder why they cannot keep employees it is a depressing atmosphere...
Phyllis Pafumi
Carole....don't know how I missed this before. I think you have a consensus....de-clutter
I would be leaning towards softer cooler colors though. Considering the residents and their need I suspect that chaos and stimulation are the last thing they need!.The furniture in the common room looks "squeezed in"...too many tables, the chair looks trappped and I suspect someone sitting there would feel that way? Definately re -position that desk...perhaps in a corner,facing the door? if the rooms are kept open to each other...just get rid of the doors alltogether.(I would be willing to bet a store like Home Depot,Lowes or Wal-Mart would donate paint...they are very Public Image oriented)Let the residents and employees do it...then they own it!
Pictures..I would suggest posters featuring open spaces(Galaxey,fields,flying birds...)and those wonderful word posters(strength, love etc.)
Just my 2 cents!
Phyllis, thank you so much for the suggestions and ideas. This is a non profit so they rely completely on donations just to survive. I did a large scale non profit community service project last year and went to many Home Depot's, Lowes, Aboff's and numerous other stores; fact is, they are not happy to donate and I ended up buying much of what they needed myself. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your offer, that is SO nice but I have to give them ideas that cost next to nothing. I am attaching a list of things that I had emailed the director and I'm sure I left some things out but I just didn't have much time and thought any help would be better then none. But THANK YOU, what a wonderful offer you made!
Joan, thank you for the comment and suggestions. I also mentioned posters in my email because they are very inexpensive. It may be difficult to read my response only because he sent me many more pictures then I was able to post here but I was able to give him some basic ideas what I thought he could do before he leaves. Maybe it will come out well and he'll decide to stay. In any event, I did offer to go and bless the place, I felt that would help a lot. I wish I could do more.
Here's what I sent and then another follow up email.
I went on to look at the pictures. There are many principles of Feng Shui that are not working in this space, I'll go over some of them with you. I think changing some things around will have a big impact. Organizing all the paperwork and making this space have much less clutter would help your employees focus and feel better.
The first picture has the person's back to the door. People should have a clear view who is entering a space or they have, in FS, an "unprotected" back and do not feel comfortable. A mirror that reflects who's entering or changing the position of the desk would help this person a lot.
The second picture is full of electro magnetic energy. It makes people feel "jittery." Plants, especially Peace Lilies offset this and no one should sit too close to this.
Some of the spaces are cramped, if you don't need the extra furniture and it's not used often, lighten up the space.
There are several pictures that show dried flowers. In Feng Shui this is "dead energy." They should absolutely be removed.
pic 26 shows a "blocked" entrance. Energy can't flow in.
pic 27 The mirror is reflecting the bed. It's not good for sleeping. Mirrors intensify anything they are facing, so a person is not comfortable sleeping. It's a problem with some of the bathrooms when the doors are open, they are reflecting nothing....no energy.
pic 32, no artwork, colors, energy. Making a space warm and welcoming will help so much.
pic 33, shower curtain is open. Bathrooms are full of "drain" energy. The doors should be kept closed, the toilet seats down and the drains not seen. Plants even silk are wonderful over the tanks to deflect this.
35 pic: Many of the rooms have ceiling fans, called "cutting chi" in FS. The fans should not be moving, they energetically "cut" someone under them. Those lights are powerful as well and should not deflect directly on the person under, lower wattage bulbs would help.
pic 36 again, mirror reflects nothing.
Plants are pure life force and help deflect EMF. There s no color or energy in these spaces and some of them are just "heavy." I think a rearrangement of some things can actually help a great deal. There is a lack of color and warmth and energy to the space, it is not inviting and even inexpensive artwork or painting would help....as well as changing a few things around. Try it. I also notice that people look cramped into spaces, are they?
If a place "feels" lifeless, the staff will not want to stay. It needs to be enlivened and can be done inexpensively....try it with some colorful artwork and plants and the bathrooms before you leave. It will make a difference.
If you have any questions, just give me a ring.
Blessings, Carole Provenzale
http://www.FengShuiLI.com
Sheron, I haven't heard back from the man other than to thank me and said he would pass the information along to his director---he was leaving as well. Last year I went to every website I'm listed under as well as some on Long Island that are free for non profits and asked for volunteers. Several people DID respond and offered to help, including a professional painter who said he would do one room for free. He dropped me on it a week in advance, I posted again and got another who dropped out the day before. I went to Craigslist hoping for a miracle---and got one. I emailed ONE painter on there, he called that same day and told him of my problem. He came with his truck and a ladder and did a room. He is listed on my website and his brochure is in every packet I give out.
And the other volunteers? Well, they just didn't show. I didn't try the YMCA but I can't undertake a project this year. Although I will contact them, maybe they can. I would be happy to go and bless the place but it needs other help as well. Thanks for your thoughts and ideas, I'll see what I can do.