Feng Shui for the Baby's Room

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

Instead of traditional pink for our daughter's room, I was looking at some light green paint colors. The clerk said that green was very Feng Shui. So, should I go with green then?

Signed,

Color conscious

Dear Color conscious,

Decorating and color choice for a baby's room or any room is a matter of personal choice. Any soft soothing color would fit into the Feng Shui guideline. If you like the color and shade of green more than any other color, then go with green.

Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) "is the ancient Chinese art of environmental design and placement to bring about harmony." (International Feng Shui Association, 2008).

Master Feng Shui Consultant, Kathryn Weber offers seven guidelines to help design and arrange a baby's room using Feng Shui.

In brief, Weber's 7 Tips for Creating Good Feng Shui in Baby's Room (www.redlotusletter.com):

1. Location: A new baby bedroom should not be over a garage or an empty space below.

2. Bed placement: Put the baby's bed on a solid wall across from the door with the head of the crib against the wall, but not directly in line with the door nor against a window. Avoid placing the bed against a wall that is shared with a bathroom, toilet, storage, or utility-type room.

3. Soothing colors: Select restful, muted colors. Whites are excellent for children, but avoid black and white color scheme because there is too much contrast. Select color palettes that are close to one another and harmonious in feng shui terms, such as green and blue, white and beige, or pink and yellow.

4. Create soft movement in the room: To create good, but soft energy and movement, hang mobiles close to a window to move gently in the breeze and keep soft music playing in the room. Avoid placing the baby under a ceiling fan as these disrupt their body energy.

5. Watch for pointed objects: Make sure there are no hard corners from dressers or changing tables pointed at the baby's head or body.

6. Select design motifs with care: Nature designs are excellent and promote growth. Animal designs should also be chosen carefully. Ferocious or aggressive animals, even when they are made for a baby's room, should not be chosen.

7. Keep lighting balanced: During the day, the light in the baby's room should neither be too bright or too dark. Install blinds that can be lowered or raised as needed to keep the room at a pleasant level of lighting (being sure to keep cords out of baby's reach).

For more information about Feng Shui and the nursery, see www.redlotusletter.com