The Close Design Process
Leslie Close is a contemporary, California interior designer trained in classical Feng Shui. She draws inspiration from nature, tradition, and cutting-edge design to create beautiful, harmonious and prosperous environments. Her experience leading large commercial design projects in New York and Los Angeles for companies like Switzer allows her team to manage every stage of the design process, from initial conception and architectural design to execution and final evaluation.
The Consultation
The first step is to get to know you, the residents, or the business in great detail. A 60-page consultation questionnaire covers topics such as:
• Who lives in the home and what are their birthdays?
• What do they like and dislike about the building?
• Is there construction nearby? (This can affect the energy in your home.)
• Is there clutter or are there problems letting go?
• When was the home built and who were the previous occupants?
• How long have the residents lived there?
• Are there positive or negative energies in the home?
• Are there plans to remodel or upgrade?
Compass Reading
Next, Leslie does a compass reading to determine which side of the house is considered “facing” and which is considered “sitting.”
Feng Shui uses a special Chinese compass that plots 24 different directions and is based on the Southern Hemisphere which affects the subsequent design choices to optimize energy inside.
The compass reading determines the “True North,” which sets you up for the next stage of mapping the house into nine sections.
The Bagua Map
The Bagua Map is an energetic map that divides the house into nine sections that each represent a different aspect of your life:
- Wealth & Prosperity
- Fame & Reputation
- Love & Relationships
- Family; Health (center)
- Children & Creativity
- Knowledge & Self-Cultivation
- Career
- Helpful People & Travels
The goal is to enhance and balance the energy in these different areas by making specific design choices in the respective sections.
The Flying Stars
The Flying Stars Chart is a nine-grid map that shows the energy flow of the building showing where the Qi (energy) flows and where it needs enhancement.
These energies fluctuate and can be positive or negative, and each of the nine flying stars represents a specific energy and quality.
Certain spaces may want to enhance certain types of energy and lessen others, for instance, a workspace may want to increase luck, reputation, and career success, and decrease illness and difficult social interactions and disputes.
