A room with a view

View

When searching for a new home, I’ve always found it invaluable to begin by making a long list of every desirable feature. So when looking for a new house in England with Richard earlier this year we began by both writing our own lists, merging them together and arriving at a very clear idea of what we wanted.

It turned out that the most important thing for both of us was a meditation room. And for me, a writing room in which to write new books. So really we were looking for a meditation room and writing room with a house attached!

This wasn’t new to me, in actual fact. It’s exactly the same principle on which the house I built for myself eight years ago in Bali was designed. I placed my meditation room in the ‘Enlightenment’ area of the feng shui bagua (the room at the centre of the back of the house) and my writing room in the Wisdom/Knowledge area (the room in the front left area of the house).  That’s the lovely thing about getting to design and build your own house. You can choose where to put things for best effect.

Interestingly, the way it has worked out in the house we’re renting here in England is exactly the opposite way around. My writing space is in the Enlightenment area and the meditation room is in the Wisdom/Knowledge area. This will certainly bring some different qualities to my writing. Better still, in Bali my writing space doubled as an office but in England I have a dedicated space because my husband takes care of the administrative side of things now.

Another big difference here is the view. I’ve noticed over the years that I do my best writing when I have a room with a view. In Bali I had a beautiful tropical garden but no long distance view. As I sit here typing in England, to my left is a huge lawn with a view that stretches for miles over pristine woods and meadows to a distant hill. This is land that has never been cultivated or built on, and is home to many forms of wildlife: deer, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, pheasants, white doves, partridges and many other smaller birds I’m still learning the names of. I’m told there are badgers out there in the woods too, although I haven’t seen one yet.

The thing is, there is always something happening out there. There is nearly always some kind of animal on the lawn (right now there’s a black and white cat and a pheasant – this could get interesting), and with half the horizon occupied by sky there is also the continuously changing cloudscape, allowing me to see whole weather fronts come, do their thing, and go (now there are two pheasants and the cat has gracefully withdrawn).

You’d think I’d write less with so many things to draw my attention outside but with most types of writing I find it doesn’t work this way at all (here come the rabbits). The view allows my consciousness to expand to fill bigger spaces. I am much more creative. It’s the same reason why penthouse suites are so sought after. Having a view doesn’t just give you a bigger picture in the literal sense. It also opens a bigger space of vision in the revelational sense.

Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd, 2010


About Karen Kingston

Karen Kingston is a leading expert in clutter clearing, space clearing, feng shui, and healthy homes. Her two international bestselling books have combined sales of over three million copies in 26 languages and have established themselves as "must-read" classics in their fields. Her best-known title, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, is now in its fifth edition. She is best known for her perspective-changing insights and practical solutions that enable more conscious navigation of 21st-century living.
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2 Responses to A room with a view

  1. Hi Karen

    I have just come across your website and look forward to reading your book.
    Hearing about your lovely outlook highlights the thoughts I have been having about my own situation.

    We have just moved to a house (renting) that has large vegetable gardens, lovely native tree plantings and lots of sun. The reason we can afford it is that it is quite near to a motorway and parts of the house and out buildings are quite run down. Normally for the rent we are paying here we would only be able to live in a small flat.

    My husband loves it here and won’t want to move. I love the house and garden but I am distressed by the noise and intense energy of the motorway, especially when I’m tired. I also walk everywhere and the roads nearby are a major traffic corridor. Is this something I could get used to? Apart from location (traffic wise & noise) the house is ideal. Is there any cure I can use to deflect the energy of the traffic? I guess we can fix up the run down aspects of the house without spending too much money?

    I wonder if this reflects the way our lives have been hijacked caring for my late father-in-law’s estate which takes much of our spare time and distracts from focus on our own life directions? I am keen to be free of clutter in regard to time and energy.

    Warm regards
    Jill

    1. My husband and I are house hunting for a place to buy at the moment instead of renting. At the top of our list of requirements is a quiet location. I’ll write a blog in the coming weeks about why it’s not a good idea to live within earshot of a major road, no matter how cheap it is.

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