May Feng Shui: Paint a Healthier Picture at Home

Franca Giuliani - This is a great time of the year to start and finish projects around the house. One of my own personal feng shui adjustments includes painting a room in my home. And, I must say that it has been awhile since I’ve been paint shopping. Selecting the right color and shade was grueling. It took a few weeks. (Wow, this process is much easier when I do it for clients.) What I didn’t realize was the process of picking out the quality of paint. When I was at Home Depot, I felt like I was at a Starbucks. “Do you want glossy finish, semi-glossy, flat, low VOC, no VOC, etc…?”

VOC stands for “Volatile Organic Compound,” which is a number of chemicals that turn into a vapor and then pollutes the air. It is not only found in paints. It’s also in varnishes, glues, and certain cleaning products. Formaldehyde is a VOC, and so is fish odor. To be environmentally conscious, no or low VOC is best.

Now, I would suggest that even if you’re not planning a painting project, go around your house and see what other toxic items you have. Do you have old varnish cans in the hall closet? Do you know if any of your cleaning products are toxic? Yes, it’s great if something can cut through grease, but what else is it doing to us? Where do you keep the bug spray?

Ideally, all of these products should bestored out of your home. Unfortunately, many homes have attached garages, and that’s probably where all that stuff is. And if you live in an apartment, space is always an issue. I can only hope that at least nothing toxic is underneath your kitchen sink.

If you can, get a shed, put it somewhere on your property, and store the products there. Hopefully, it won’t be too close to your neighbors. But if you safe storage isn't possible, make sure no harmful products are in the kitchen, in the bedroom, or near any place where you spend a lot of time. Just being aware where things are stored can be very helpful.

Feng Shui Homework

I am giving you a big assignment for homework this month.

• Pay attention to the products in your home. Read the ingredients. Look up words you don’t know. 
• Properly store or dispose of anything that is not healthy. 

Educating ourselves is very powerful and an essential step towards having a healthy, picture-perfect home. And a healthy home is a healthier you.

Now, all I have to figure out is if I want a satin finish paint or not. Argh!

Until next month,

Be well,

Franca 

Franca Giuliani is an environmental advisor, integrated feng shui consultant, and energy clearer whose inquisitive nature has led her down the path of the metaphysical world and related topics. Now Franca uses her expansive knowledge and experience to help individuals get their bearings and think differently about themselves and their space, enabling them to better plan for the future. 

She collectively uses a number of modalities to help people become aware of their environment, acknowledge it, and then help them begin to reach a better balance. Becoming aware of one’s environment and understanding why things are happening is the foundation to a possible transformation of life.

Franca has studied feng shui, energy clearing, and astrology for over nine years and continues to study under world-renowned instructors. A graduate of the Feng Shui Alliance School formerly in Edgewater, NJ, she holds a BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a certificate from NYU. Additionally, Franca studied in Antwerp, Belgium and graduated from a Feng Shui Society of the United Kingdom accredited program. 

Franca practices and teaches courses on relevant topics. She's consulted and lectured within the New York metro area, as well as in Italy. Italy has been Franca’s second home since childhood. She considers herself an Italian aficionado and organizes tours throughout Italy where she can share her knowledge and passion for this amazing country.