QUESTION: I have one of those “fake” living rooms that was designed to look at and not use. It really bugs me that I have so much square footage not being used in my house, but I’m totally stuck as to how to make it useful and integrate it into the house! Can you help?
ANSWER: Thanks for asking such an important question! As I say, what’s going on in your house is going on in your life, and I don’t want to see anything that is “‘stuck” as you say, or “bugging you.”
When I see the perfect “fake living room” that is never used, it usually portrays a good front or a false facade by the owners, and usually at the expense of their own quality of life! By that I mean they have the perfect space for that once-a-year baby shower, and in the meantime, other rooms in the home that are pulling double duty so that this room can exist: like the ironing board, hobby space, and “home office” in the bedroom.
In order to make this fake room useful, first, figure out and list what functions you do that don’t have a dedicated space in the home. For example, there is an ironing board next tot eh bed, there’s a bike in the foyer, there’s a computer on the dining room table for homework, or an exercise bike next to the bed. Then, assign a square footage amount to it that is needs to work well. Then, see if you can re-arrange these uses within the living room to be more energetically consistent. Yep, that uncomfortable furniture might need to go to make this happen. I ditched my fake living room years ago and we love the two REAL living spaces in our home…We’re not formal entertaining people so why would we keep up such a space in our home just because the architect or developer thought we might need it?
When you said you felt stuck by all this, I believe you are feeling the energy of that room within you. What is going on in your home is going on in you is the rule I am referring to for this one. If, you happen to have all the room you need for all your functions and simply want to energize this living space in such a way that it doesn’t feel dead, fake, or unused, try these tips out.
#1 The fact that it is not used at all tells me that it is a very still room. If there are “still lifes” as art, change the art to something with more movement in it.
#2 Try changing the furniture arrangement, the furniture pieces themselves, or perhaps the furniture material surfaces. If the furniture literally feels uncomfortable, it can discourage people from using it. I personally have short legs and hate sitting on furniture where my legs dangle like a child! Also, too many decor pillows can sometimes read as a “Stop! Do not sit here” subconsciously. (This is akin to the “guest towels” in some people’s bathrooms that no one is expected to touch!)
#3 Take a look at this room and see if it could be enhanced using any of the nine traditional cures: light, sound, weight, moving objects, electrically powered objects, color, living objects, symbols, and other. Yes, you could hire a feng shui consultant to help you, but perhaps just a quick look with this intention will point out something that you can easily do yourself. From my experience, I usually find that living and moving objects can make the most impact in this type of room if you still want it to be a living room and you want to start using it. Feel free to add fresh, thriving living plants, flowers, or a bowl of fresh fruit in this room to perk up the chi of the space. Try a fresh bowl of water with a fish in it and see how things “wake up” in that room.
I find that adding one constantly moving object can totally change the energy of a typical stagnant or stuck room. My favorites include a small fan hitting a chime, a water feature, a clock with a sweeping second hand, a grandfather’s or a coo-coo clock. Kinetic sculptures and mobiles can make a space feel more lively and fun. A ceiling fan slowly spinning gives the space life. If you have any instruments like an organ, piano, etc. put those loud items in this space to give it the sound vibration.
In a nutshell, if you have any functions in the home that are incongruous (take a good look at everyone’s bedrooms first!) – without adding a room in a costly renovation, you may have just found the space for that function to occur more harmoniously within the home. If you have the luxury of having all your rooms in the house have congruent functions AND you still have this and perhaps other rooms in the house that “feel dead, or sleepy,” then the moving object cure is the way to go.
