StarBulletin.com

Balancing act


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POSTED: Monday, March 08, 2010

Marie and Kurt Winner have been remodeling their house in Portlock for the last 10 years, adding on rooms, renovating the kitchen, painting and repainting and transforming it into their dream home.

But when it came time to repaint again—hopefully for the last time—they couldn't agree on the colors. She wanted yellow. He wanted red.

That's when they called Clear Englebert upon the recommendation of their paint contractor and, thus, had their first experience with a feng shui consultant.

Now the Winners are converts who believe in the power of feng shui.

What they ended up with were two shades of green in the main living room, along with an eggplant-black accent wall on one side of the home (located in the knowledge corner). On an opposite wall, they had a red accent wall that framed a green painting perfectly.

Most of the main living room, dining room and master bedroom are painted in a lighter shade of “;Livable Green”; complemented by a darker shade called “;Thyme.”;

The Winners say they absolutely love the results.

Prior to the color consultation, the main living room was painted bright red and was busy with an abundance of art, which was too much, according to Kurt Winner. It tired you out, he said.

“;There was too much energy, too much red,”; said Marie Winner. “;People are coming in and saying, 'Wow, it's so relaxing.' It's much more comfortable.”;

In the dining room, which looks out upon the ocean, the lighter green matches the different shades of the ocean, creating a feeling of tranquility.

It's essential to get the right shade of green, according to Englebert, who brings a paint swatch with him to every consultation.

In the master bathroom, furnished with an antique Chinese bureau (used for linens), Englebert recommended painting a separate toilet room in red.

The red represented fire, which balances out all of the water features in the bathroom—the sink, tub and toilet.

Color, she said, is a vibration, not too different from music, where tones either go with one another or not.

A soft, mild yellow is considered a gathering color, a happy color, while sage green is popular for doctor's offices and massage rooms because it's healing. Englebert, however, doesn't recommend blue for any relationship bedrooms.

“;The psychology of colors is so gigantic,”; said Englebert. “;Color can bring so much joy to your life,”; Englebert said. “;It can change how you feel.”;

Feng shui consultant Alice Inoue said her philosophy on paint colors is to pull in any color found in nature.

“;Anything you can find in nature, take it inside and then you're bringing nature into your home,”; she said. “;Nature knows how to balance itself naturally.”;

She recommends colors you would find in the produce section for your kitchen and dining area. For the bathroom, colors that are deep and saturated create a rich and enveloping environment.