Feng Shui Long Island's Blog

I had a recent contact from someone in Parsippany, New Jersey.  I was a bit surprised because I primarily target the New York City and Long Island area and explained that I don't travel to New Jersey.  This lovely person was a referral and had heard about me; while speaking to her and hearing what she'd gone through in her home, I finally relented and agreed to go.

I couldn't have asked to meet a more lovely person who had been beset by problems since she moved into this house.  She is an accomplished designer, a genuine person---and a first time homeowner.  She lived in one of the most beautiful spots I have ever seen in a lovely home on the edge of Lake Parsippany.  The problem?  Her "basement" flooded whenever it rained...it didn't just flood, it got FILLED with water.  She advised me that she had purchased the home as an "estate" sale and for that reason, there were no disclosure laws.  She had called an inspector prior to purchasing who advised her he found nothing wrong with the house. 

I put the word "basement" in quotes because to me, a basement is not only downstairs, but dark with small windows.  Not in this house; it was almost level with the ground and absolutely stunning to look out over that view she had. Until it rained.  She is a collector of beautiful, antique furniture and had all of it moved upstairs.  The upstairs of the home is so crowded you can't negotiate your way around.  She had spent thousands of dollars trying to fix the house and finally, almost a year has passed without a flood.

She asked me what to do, how to start to figure out how to set up the home again.  And it was a very difficult call.  It was hard to figure out how the furniture would fit downstairs when there was so much of it....and because it is older furniture, it is dark and heavy feeling.  I spent four hours there that day and we got through alot of things but it is overwhelming for her and she's likely to stay that way if she doesn't have help.  I offered to come back on a free weekend and she can have movers there.  We can set up the home, put it back into place and help her lighten it up.  Heavy furniture and too much of it "weighs" you down in life.

I took a few shots of the beautiful outside and you can imagine the views as the sun is setting or there is a full moon reflected in that lake.  I believe she's going to have the home she loved once again. 

As a postscript before I show you the house, I have to give credit here to a fellow Active-Rainer who wrote a wonderful blog a while back that stuck in my head.  This client's mother had knitted sweaters and she had them all....and they took up so much room but she said it was SO difficult to part with.  I remembered Sheron Cardin's wonderful blog that if you're finding it difficult to part with clothes when cleaning out your closet, take a picture of it---and get rid of it.  I ran the idea by her and she LOVED IT!  Thanks, Sheron for a great idea that helped this lovely woman! 

This shot was taken from the back of her lovely home....look at that VIEW!  Lake Parsippany, New Jersey

Lake Parsippany, New Jersey.The expanse of her beautiful backyard.  You can see the "basement" is almost level and provides a gorgeous view.

Parsippany, New Jersey.  The beautiful lake and some happy feathered friends.

My dream is to have this client happy in this beautiful house and I believe that's going to happen!  I will do a follow up after I go back.

UPDATE:  In the Black Sect version of Feng Shui we address an area called 'HELPFUL PEOPLE.'  It is one of the Life Stations on the Bagua Professor Lin Yun provided us and while much can be written about it, it is an important area to address....who couldn't use more helpful people in their lives?  I got an absolutely WONDERFUL contact from Home Stager I do not know from ActiveRain, Debra Brodhecker.  She had seen this post, lives 30 to 45 minutes away and offered to come and help myself and my client with her home...asking nothing in return.  If THAT'S not a helpful person, I don't know what is!  I called my client who actually got tears in her voice from the offer of help.  A public Thank You to Debra!