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Good Chi
Kristin O’Connor’s Midlothian lakefront home exemplifies the integration of feng shui principles to create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing living space. O’Connor, with a background in advertising and a passion for home building and renovation, collaborated with Scott Stephens of SMS Architects and feng shui consultant Robyn Bentley, known as the Feng Shui Diva, to realize her vision. The process began by dividing the property and house plans into eight compass directions, allowing Bentley to identify and utilize positive energy patterns while neutralizing negative ones based on the home's construction year and orientation. This precision extended to determining the most auspicious direction for the house to face.
Room by room, the design focused on balancing the five elements of feng shui: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Bentley also incorporated O’Connor’s astrology chart, identifying her as a “double-fire Sagittarius,” which influenced the use of fire, metals, and earth colors throughout the home. While most of the house maintains a minimalist aesthetic with Benjamin Moore White Chocolate walls, allowing O’Connor’s art collection to stand out, the dining room offers a striking contrast. It features metallic elements like a crystal and gold metal chandelier, and the walls and built-in shelves are painted in a bronzy Willow by Benjamin Moore, aligning with O’Connor's personal feng shui.
Addressing an imbalance in O’Connor’s bedroom, Bentley introduced metal elements to counteract negative earth energy. This involved painting the walls in Benjamin Moore’s Odessa Pink and strategically placing metal barbells in her nightstand. Bentley also used O’Connor’s kua number, derived from her birth year and gender, to determine the optimal sleeping direction, emphasizing its significant impact on well-being for both adults and children. The kitchen design is grounded in earth-based feng shui, featuring European-style cabinetry made from strong-grained cherrywood and stone finishes. A warm gray quartzite waterfall island, countertops, and backsplash anchor the social areas, balancing the expansive water views. A unique backsplash by New Ravenna Tile, named “Personal Space,” adds a celestial theme, creating a playful contrast with the earthy elements and a 'galactic wink' at the cocktail station.
Nature plays a crucial role in the home's feng shui. The design maximizes views of the surrounding trees and lake, with the north-facing side of the house predominantly glass. O’Connor meticulously planned window placements based on seasonal lighting. The indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly merge at the patio, where a saltwater pool and fireplace are nestled within the nooks of the home’s two wings, enhanced by high-gabled roofs. This U-shaped design creates a sense of embrace, symbolizing a perfect balance of water, air, and earth elements. Bentley advised against an infinity pool, suggesting it would symbolize prosperity flowing away from the home.
Richmond designer Wendell Welder contributed to the natural landscape plan, opting for low-maintenance hydrangea gardens and natural meadows with wildflowers, eliminating the need for mowing, blowing, or chemical use. This approach has attracted diverse wildlife, including butterflies, bumblebees, hummingbirds, bald eagles, geese, deer, and foxes. O’Connor emphasizes that the thoughtful and personalized planning ensures every part of the house feels good, highlighting that the unseen emotional and ethereal energies of a space are as crucial as its visible design in fostering a harmonious environment.
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