Office Feng Shui

Handsome approves.

 

Instead of enjoying the process of moving into our new office, I must admit that I’ve been pretty anxious about it. One client in particular recently came to visit me for a face-to-face and asked me point blank, “is everything OK?”  The answer is Yes, and No. If I had to pinpoint what exactly was causing me to be up late at night, irritable and restless, it would have to be (drum roll): my desk, or more specifically, what exactly my new workspace would look like.

 

Sounds crazy right? It's true though. Who knew that just the thought of how I would feel in my new space would affect me that much? Scary to think that it had gotten to the point that my clients would wonder whether or not it was my attempts at renegotiating a retainer, or that some high-pressure looming deadline was causing me this much agita. I was told that I was visibly and noticeably ‘flat’ in a brainstorm. That something had to be heavily weighing me down. I was beginning to let this stress and worry consume me, when in reality, this process should be one of my life's most exciting moments. I should be psyched, not sick.

 

If I’m to be totally honest, (gasp – in a blog?) I could confess that fears had begun to creep in as the move-in date got closer. The fears I could deal with. Fears are simply False Evidence Appearing Real.  I prayed on my new venture, ran it by several key confidants and spoke to my business coach and mentor about it. My wife was supportive. Everyone asked me, “What do you have to worry about, what is it that you are afraid of?”. Nothing really, right? The real answer as to what was bugging me was: “Feng Shui”. The truth is I could not stand having so many loose ends in the new space. I needed the right energy flow, I needed the right environment. I needed it to be done right, fixed and ready to rock and roll. I can be an impatient S.O.B.

 

Feng Shui

 Feng Shui, which means “wind” and “water” is a traditional art of living based on a philosophy strongly rooted in spirituality. More simply put, Feng Shui, is the idea or practice, if you will, of living in harmony with the natural world. Though the spaces that you live or work in differ, the principles of Feng Shui remain the same.

I would spend countless hours researching desks, L-Shaped, U-Shaped, Ikea, Staples, Bush, etc. etc. Sometimes the internet can be a bottomless pit of information. For someone like me, researching anything can take on a life of its own.

I really enjoy my home office (which my wife calls ‘cluttered’). Her cluttered is my cozy. I need to have my stuff: Spiderman bobble-head and a few other items as I’ve shared before. But now the question remained: how will the energy flow? How will I feel at my desk. If I was to make the transition? The space had to have Feng Shui.

Here are a couple of tips for Feng Shui for offices that I was focused on:

Position of the desk

Keep your desk in the commanding position. The commanding position means a position of power, where you have a direct view of the door, a pleasant view out the window and a wall behind you for stability. This position of the desk according to the Feng Shui office offers you the maximum control.

 

Shape of your desk

Shape of your desk can affect your mood and level of productivity in the workplace. Rounded curves are flowing, encouraging the flow of creativity. A kidney-shaped desk follows the natural curves of the human body and is said to give you a subconscious feeling of inner alignment.

 

Here is the site where those tips came from and you can find a few more here as well:

http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/office-feng-shui.php

 

The Aeron Chair:

Back in my Walker Digital (priceline.com incubator) days, everyone had an Aeron Chair. We even had the famous Herman Miller chairs in the conference rooms. These $900 chairs were everywhere. Granted, if any of these chairs still existed, they would be at least 15 years old. No matter, I wanted one and I reached out to my former employer to try and get my hands on one on the cheap. Turns out that they did have some, but they were in storage, and it was more of a PIA to track them down in storage than it was worth. Undeterred, I kept looking. Now, I was more determined than ever to get my hands on one. As I recall, the Aeron chairs were great for long days in the saddle. No back pain, no circulation problems, nothing. These chairs were worth every penny. I needed one. Now I felt like I had to have one if I was going to have that proper Feng Shui. It was now a spiritual thing, and as I write this blog on Good Friday, I have to admit that it really is just a material thing (don’t get it twisted).

 

 

I scoured and stalked Aeron chairs on Craigs’ list for days. I couldn’t justify the $900 price tag for a new one. Eventually I found my exact size, Size B, (yes these chairs come in sizes) and bought a pre-owned, gently used one in pristine condish from a 90lb Yale law student who was moving back home cross-country. Mission accomplished.

It looks great behind my desk. How I ultimate found my desk is a whole ‘nother story. But thankfully, after lots of trial and error, buying and not using desks, and reselling them on Craigslist, I’ve arrived at my happy place. The workplace looks great, there is great energy flow and its great waking up each day knowing how lucky I am to have a place like this to work in. I ended up outfitting the entire place with the Galant series from Ikea. They are great large work areas with adjustable height T-legs all around. I like to spread out and have plenty of room and these desks do the trick. Aeron chair for me, red FlashFurniture Chairs for the rest of the team.

Command Position: Coming along pretty good...

I’m by no means finished though. We are not officially opened up until May 1^st as we keep modifying and upgrading the office. We just had our phone lines, internet and cable installed today and I’m sure I have to make a few more trips to Ikea. I plan on returning to buy a few shelves and flat file drawers in a bright red finish to match our branding. I’m thinking of getting a few plants to add a bit of an organic feel to the place as well. I’m excited about our kitchen area too, a small nook I created after finding a used cubicle partition on Craigslist, perfect for hiding the mini-fridge, microwave and storage shelf. Its really starting to feel like home.

I can exhale now.

 

 

Resources:

Where Does The Aeron Chair Fit Into The History Of Dot Coms?

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20010807/0130228.shtml

 

The History of the Aeron Chair

http://www.theaeronchairs.com/about-aeron-chair.php

 

Feng Shui Office Tips

http://www.thespiritualfengshui.com/office-feng-shui.php

 

13 Do’s and Taboos for the Feng Shui Office

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-feng-shui-office.html

 

 

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Ramon has over 19 years of experience in award-winning, market-proven, print collateral, marketing material, iphone/ipad app and website design specializing in corporate identity and branding. Ramon’s passion for entrepreneurial design was borne out of 10 years as Creative Director for Jay Walker at Walker Digital, the Stamford based idea laboratory and business incubator holding over 300 US Patents. Ramon served as Senior Art Director on the start-up launch team behind Priceline.com, a Walker company and invention. Most recently, Ramon's logo and identity work was selected to be published in "Typography and Enclosures" the fourth book in the Master Library series by LogoLounge.

Need help with your brand identity or want to overhaul your existing brand? Contact: [email protected]

 

Follow Ramon on Twitter @Peralta_Design

 

Comments

[Marilyn Peralta]

Ramón, recuerda que las mejores ideas, las más grandes explosiones de creatividad ocurren cuando estamos bajo presión, cuando el corazón nos late fuerte, cuando las emociones hacen que tiemble nuestra voz. Felicidades por que das un paso más allá en tu camino al éxito.

[mubera missini]

So useful ideas. Thank you endless!