Answer: When you have a chance to start from scratch it's great! Choose a lot that will support your home from a Form School standpoint. Higher elevation in the rear and lower in the front is what you are looking for. If you can get the front door to face south, then you have at least one Compass School style happy as well. If you can't, you know me - it's not necessary as long as you work with the Black Hat Sect style and use the bagua! I would do some type of ground-breaking ritual before I started construction, too. Burn sage, do the exterior chi adjustment ritual if you know it, or whatever intentional method you feel would work for you the best.

Next, choose a home form that is supported by the lot using the creative cycle of elements. A fire-shaped home (Tudor, A-frame, pointy type) belongs in the "woods" as "wood supports fire" in the creative cycle. A dome, or rounded windows and arches are metal and are supported by a flat, "earth" lot. An undulating roof line home is supported by a small mounded lot (metal creates water.) Vertical, multi-story homes should be on undulating lots for having the "water feed the wood". And if you have a steep hillside lot (like a fire shaped mountain or region) build a low, horizontal, Frank Lloyd Wright-type home on it, so the fire lot supports the earth home. (This is a tough concept to describe!) Then, work on the home floor plan shape and make it make sense with the bagua (making sure no one is "sleeping outside" in front of the front door or over the garage as in the question above this one.) Try to avoid split-level homes*, sunken rooms, sloping ceilings, exposed beams, bedrooms over the garage, and big pools in the center rear of the lot. (There's more but this is a good start! Refer to the book if necessary.)

Then make sure the beds, stove and desks are placed in strong "arm-chair positions" which is that "higher in the back and lower in the front" I described in the beginning. Plan desks, beds and stoves to face the door to the room. You definitely want to plan furniture walls and know where all this furniture I mentioned will go before you build. Add the nine colors on the sub-floor of each room in the bagua pattern for that room before you lay any flooring and you've got a great start on your feng shui before you ever more in! I make a stencil out of cardboard to make bagua shapes of color on the floor. I also spray red across the floor of any door or across any sill of any window that may look like it might "leak chi". Of course I do this prior to painting or laying any flooring.

And remember, the more intention you give your home during construction, the more you will have at move-in!

Here's the link to some books we put on special to help with home design: Product Specials

Review your landscape for clutter. As trees and shrubs grow, they can create a cluttered situation outdoors. Prune trees and large shrubs so they do not touch the house. Separate or alternately remove small shrubs and groundcover plants to allow space for the plants to grow and chi to roam. Remove any dead leaves or plants.

Wisdom and I are One.

Courage and I are One.

Joy and I are One.

June 17 PLEASE NOTE, THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Karen will be presenting her Feng Shui workshop in Lexington, Kentucky from 10am-12pm. The Workshop will be held at Earth, Body & Spirit, 435 Southland Drive. If you need directions, please call (859)276-3501. The registration fee is $50.00. Please e-mail interest to management@fengshuipalace.com or call (877)952-2482 for reservations. Seating is limited.

June 17 Karen will be discussing and signing her book, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky at 7pm. Joseph-Beth Booksellers is located at 161 Lexington Green Circle. If you'd like more information, please call (859)273-2911.

June 17-18 Karen will be available in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky vicinity for private consultations. If you live in the area and are interested in a personal consultation, please call (877)952-2482 to confirm a time. Please call to book consultations at least two weeks prior to Karen's arrival.

June 18 Karen will be discussing and signing her book, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" at Borders Books in Cincinnati, Ohio at 6:30pm. Borders Books is located at 11711 Princeton Pike. If you'd like more information, please call (513)671-5852.

June 20-24 Karen will be in the Chicago, Illinois area. If you would like to book a private consultation, please call (877)952-2482 to secure a consultation time. Please call to book consultations at least two weeks prior to Karen's arrival.

June 22 Karen will be presenting her "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life, Advanced Feng Shui" workshop at Transitions Bookplace, 1000 West North Avenue in Chicago, Illinois from 10am-3pm (with a 2 hour lunch break). The registration fee is $90.00 for Bookclub Members and $100.00 for the General Public. If you require further information or directions, please call (312)951-READ. Please e-mail interest to management@fengshuipalace.com or call (877)952-2482 for reservations. Seating is limited. Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of their home.

July 13 Karen will be giving a Feng Shui Workshop, a book signing and offering one-on-one consultations in 30 minute increments at the Crystal Cave in Costa Mesa, California from 11am-5pm. If you would like more information or would like to schedule a consultation, please call the Crystal Cave at (714)754-1151.

July 25 Karen will be discussing and signing her book, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" at Barnes & Noble in Phoenix Arizona at 7pm. Barnes & Noble is located at 21001 N. Tatum (Tatum and the 101 Loop). If you'd like more information, please call (408)538-8520.

July 25-26 Karen will be in the Phoenix, Arizona area. If you would like to book a private consultation, please call (877)952-2482 to secure a consultation time. Please call to book consultations at least two weeks prior to Karen's arrival.

July 27 Karen will be presenting her "Hands-On" Feng Shui workshop in Austin, Texas from 1-5pm. The Workshop will be held at Casa De Luz, 1701 Toomey Road. If you need directions to the facility, please contact Janet at (512)476-2535. The registration fee is $80.00. Please e-mail interest to management@fengshuipalace.com or call (877)952-2482 for reservations. Seating is limited. Participants are required to bring a floor plan sketch of their home.

September 10 Karen will be speaking at the Central California Women's Conference in Fresno, California.

September 11-12 Karen will be available in the Fresno, California vicinity for private consultations. If you live in the area and are interested in a personal consultation, please call (877)952-2482 to confirm a time. Please call to book consultations at least two weeks prior to Karen's arrival.

November 8-18 Karen will be speaking aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's Wind in the Hawaiian Islands. The sessions are free and the food is great! NCL's reservation line is (800)327-7030 if you want to come along!

With great intentions of helping,

Karen