Like most Southwest Florida homes,
Debbie Roddy's house includes lots of light colors. However,
the light hues in her home are carefully balanced with darker
tones. "When you come home, it's nice to be able to
wind down," Roddy said. "That's why you need the balance
of light and dark." Light colors promote excitement and
alertness, while dark colors encourage relaxation, she explained.
Roddy practices feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of
positioning objects — including buildings, furniture, fountains
and plants — in patterns that have positive and negative
effects. And although she and her husband, Marty, moved into their
new home only two months ago, feng shui elements are everywhere.
Through e-mails and teleconference calls, Roddy trains with
feng shui master Nancilee Wydra, who developed the Pyramid School
of Feng Shui. The Pyramid School is based on the philosophy that
the person is the central concern of feng shui. Roddy said it
incorporates architecture, biology, cultural anthropology,
environmental health, physics and psychology.
The Pyramid School is more practical than other schools of feng
shui, she said, and it fits the American culture. "You've got
to live with what you have," Roddy said. For example,
people probably aren't going to change the position of their homes
to fit feng shui. Part of feng shui is working with what's around
you. Feng shui helps people feel comfortable and have
balance in their lives; it involves elements such as color,
material, fabric, lighting and smell, all of which affect whether
you like your surroundings, Roddy said. "A lot of
people think it's smoke and mirrors like voodoo, and it doesn't
really have to be that way," she said.
Roddy first became interested in feng shui while living in
Cincinnati. She signed up for a free course through Barnes &
Noble University, and she became hooked. She feng shui-ed
her financial planner's office in Cincinnati, and she did a salon
and spa in Naples. Her own house already is well on its way
to being feng shui. A granite countertop is offset with
warm-colored cabinetry in the kitchen. In the master bedroom, blue
fabrics promote relaxation and red candles stimulate passion. A
large headboard gives support at night, Roddy said. Runners
lead from the front door into the heart of the home, and an
octagonal rug in Roddy's office is "ba-gua," which
represents a tool used in feng shui. In her husband's office, his
great-grandfather's desk sits in the "power position,"
which is opposite the door at the back of the room.
Marty Roddy was amazed when he saw what his wife did with his
office. He always has been supportive, Roddy said.
Sand-colored tiles on the lanai bring the outdoors in, and muted
blues, greens and grays on the lanai help provide a relaxing
environment. Roddy said the waterfall in the corner indicates a
gentle flow.
Roddy is in the process of feng shui-ing her backyard, but she
has to be cautious of her environment. When the Roddys bought the
property, it had several gopher tortoise holes on it; it still has
four active holes in the backyard, which the Roddys will work
around while landscaping. The front yard is almost
completely feng shui. When she decides which flower she wants to
plant, Roddy will line the outside of the walkway to provide
support for visitors.
When her house is feng shui, Roddy will practice on Marco
through her business, Lotus Blossom Feng Shui Designs, Inc.
She said when she first meets with new clients, she spends about
two hours with them and has them fill out two questionnaires: One
finds the elemental configuration of their personalities (whether
they are fire, water, earth, metal, wood or a combination), and
the other determines what the clients want and need. "I
have not found where it's been off yet," Roddy said.
"I've really spooked some people with it." Roddy
also follows up with her clients to see how they like their feng
shui. Often, people need only an outsider's eyes to help
them. "If you've got bad feng shui, you can always do
something to fix it," she said. "A lot of it is common
sense, but people are busy with their own lives and need other
eyes."
