This week I’m presenting something new called The Style & Energy Journal, where every month (or so, you know me ;)), I’ll explore the relationship between beauty, atmosphere, environments and the way they affect us.
For the inauguration of this joyous event, I want to talk about a very prevalent concept that I have seen during the 20+ years I’ve been working in Feng Shui, interiors, design and beauty. When people think of luxury, Feng Shui, energy, design, their minds automatically goes to the editorial photos of the magazine Real Simple or my made up magazine called, “Minimalist Quarterly.”
To illustrate this some more, let’s talk about 2023. It wasn’t that long ago, but it seems like eons ago, right? If you were in NYC, do you remember that weird moment right after Covid, when we were able to finally leave our homes again and roam the streets? I remember it very clearly since I was overjoyed to be able to have more freedom in my daily activities. But, when I looked around, weirdly everything had suddenly become beige. Furthermore, the general population decided that they weren’t going to easily let go of their business casual-casual attire.
Then I think it may have been Instagram or some other lovely platform (detect my snarkiness?) that so powerfully convinced everyone that Quiet Luxury was all the rage and which meant a complete obliteration of color. Hence, the period what I dubbed, Nouveau Beige. I looked up from my Flat White (also beige), and was like, omg, when did I move to Scandinavia? Sorry Scandinavia. As I have yet to visit that part of the world, this was my narrow-minded perspective of our friends – minimal, efficient, non-aggressive and unobtrusive presence. My loud, extroverted NYC mind was flabberghasted.
And it got me thinking, there have been many people who I met in my career have been touched by this Beige Paradox. Don’t get me wrong, if you love minimalism and the color beige, go for it. No shade here. But what I have experienced more often is how people envision “perfect” Feng Shui and ultimate balance as uncluttered, simple, basic, light….beige. The epitome of nothingness.
And before all my maximalists panic and think I’m asking you to suddenly become a minimalist monk with one sad beige bowl and a linen sofa, absolutely not. Here is where my witty (I like to think), Susan-the-maximalist commentary comes in. No. Don’t do that, as my dear friend Lenio’s niece said when she was 4.
Don’t reduce yourself to a beige blip in the name of so-called Feng Shui calm.There are many ways to create calm while still keeping color, texture, books, objects, personality and visual richness. Some people actually feel more emotionally alive and creatively supported in layered environments. The goal of the Feng Shui work that we do together is not to erase yourself in the name of calm. The goal is to create an environment that supports YOU.
We are not all the same and there’s such beauty in that. Each one of us responds to things differently – people, food, sounds, environments, and we need to respect that. At the beginning of my Feng Shui career, and even now, many people ask if I help them style their home a certain way, like with gold embracing swans. Uh, no. If you like that, we can, but there is no one equation to style, or Feng Shui, for that matter.
What I have always told my clients and still to this day is – show up to your space with the curiosity to know who YOU are, what makes you feel good, what inspires you, excites you when you need energy, what nurtures you when you want down time. Then knowing this, then we get down to work to construct an environment around you that reflects that. Many people think it’s just their homes but I see environment as the whole she-bang – your home, your workspace, your job that you do every.single.day, your partner, your friends, your hobbies, your wardrobe. Everything is connected.
So today’s journal entry is to celebrate YOU. To not just celebrate Quiet Luxury or Merry Maximalism, but whatever makes YOU feel good.
Here’s some fun weekend-warrior homework: Take this weekend to go through your things. Find what makes you feel happy or inspired. Or both. Don’t think about what it looks like. Think about HOW it makes you feel. And then keep going. And going. When you’re tired or done, pat yourself on the back, tell yourself that your space, your life, your environment is a reflection of you, and nobody else. You’re not here to be anyone else but yourself and only you know who that is.
