April showers bring May flowers, but spring cleaning may not come as easily.

Each year, thousands of San Diegans flock to hardware stores and swanky decorating boutiques to check out the freshest trends in interior design. Two of the most interesting are the art of feng shui and environmentally friendly, or “green” design.

Developed in China nearly 5,000 years ago, feng shui involves more than rearranging furniture. “Feng shui is the analysis of stationary space, although feng shui views space as having energy that moves throughout all stationary space,” says Tryce Czyczynska, a San Diego feng shui consultant and practitioner.

It’s difficult to define feng shui without sounding mystical, but, essentially, “feng shui, literally translated to “wind and water,” is the art of creating balance, harmony, health and good fortune in everyday life,” says Amanda Collins, of Feng Shui Footprints.

“It is the art of healthful arrangement of rooms, furniture and buildings to affect spiritual, psychological and physical well-being. Feng shui balances out your environment with the five elements water, wind, fire, metal and earth. It teaches you to connect with the elements of nature and to work with the environment not against it. The goal is to make life easier and to create a better flow and foster the achievement of personal goals,” Collins says.

Traditional Chinese culture attributes “chi” as the universal life force. Its presence and power are central to the practice of feng shui, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, yoga and other eastern practices. “The aim is to maximize the beneficial movement of chi present in all things through our environment,” Collins says. “Feng shui provides both guidelines and tools for analyzing and correcting the flow of energy into and out of our living space. It uses the arrangement of rooms and the placement of furniture to create a smooth flow for chi throughout a home. Another goal of feng shui is to remind us that everything is connected, and that our physical surroundings have an enormous impact on our mind, body and spirit.”

Feng shui, which “dictates that our first advocate in life is less our relationships to people and more our relationship to space,” as Czczynska puts it, can be applied to both home and work spaces – to any stationary space around us.

“If we have a great love in our life but our bedroom is cluttered and full of electronic equipment, such as a TV, iPod dock, computer and digital alarm, then we’re unlikely to concentrate on our love for our partner because these other distractions are clouding the airways and demanding our attention,” Czyczynska says. “When applying feng shui to businesses, we can set up cubicles to empower our employees to be proactive and productive for the sake of the company while setting up community spaces that help co-workers to connect in ways that reflect the mission of that company. It might be as simple as re-directing the seating arrangements in a conference room to reflect the equal importance of the individual in the scheme of the company at-large, by housing all meetings at an oval table (even better than a round table!) that helps everyone see, hear and interact well when learning new policies and sharing innovative ideas.”

Feng shui, practitioners say, is both an art and a science, balancing between the “wind” and “water” of life within our surroundings. It’s the balance between the two extremes that symbolize the need for balance in modern society. “Feng shui sees environments as alive with both real, scientific energy and with the energy of intention and association,” Czyczynska says. “We can prove that the vibrational energy from a solid-wood floor mixed with adobe walls and open skylights is going to be a lot more energetic that the vibe from an office with flourescent lights, mirrored windows, glued-down carpet and pressboard desks. However, we also know that the energy we associate with our surroundings is equally important, such as whether we bought our bed with our current partner or saved it from a failed marriage.”

Feng shui may be the answer to many interior design questions. Better yet, it can definitely be done on a budget. “You needn’t have a million bucks to spend on feng shui to feel like your space has a million-dollar influence upon you,” Czyczynska says. “In fact, I’m more likely to ask my clients to get rid of possessions than I am to suggest they acquire new things. Although clutter is rarely the first thing I address, because it’s often a symptom of a larger structural problem, I do ask a lot of my clients to evaluate what can be gotten rid of.”

Czyczynska advocates taking stock of possessions and rooting out the most cherished for presentation. Feng shui reflects psyche, and the rooms we inhabit should give insight into our psyche, according to feng shui teachings. “Often we can’t expect new items and new energy to enter our lives until some literal space is made for it to reside in. Plus, I often find my clients already own a lot of what reflects their best qualities, but they may not be using the pieces they have to their fullest advantage. I sometimes find my clients harbor their most favorite art collection in a back closet while displaying dingy photos of family that haven’t been updated in years. It’s important to remember that we are constantly evolving and in order to not feel stagnant, we need our spaces to reflect the changes we make within ourselves.”

According to Czyczynska, feng shui is most powerful when applied to the design of a space: where the window and walls are, where the light comes from, the materials we use in a space and the color we infuse it with. It’s much less about how we place the furniture or how perfect each piece of furniture is. However, Czyczynska does offer advice when shopping for furniture: (1) buy furniture as close to its natural state as possible – aim for natural fibers and solid or recycled wood; (2) pay attention to who made the furniture – was it a sweatshop or a local artisan? “It may not be that you save money upfront by keeping these things in mind, organics and handmade items cost more in cash, but in a measurement of how much life they give, there’s no comparison! Because the metaphysical energy of an item is as important as the raw materials in that item, a product made by someone who takes pride in it goes a long way against a product made with slave labor.”

Feng shui reminds us that everything is connected and that our physical surroundings have a significant impact on our mind, body and spirit. It teaches us to be mindful caretakers of our environments so that we may be attentive caretakers in our own lives.

Czyczynska gives back to her community through her work, bringing feng shui to GLBT couples, singles and families all over San Diego and beyond. “I joined the GSDBA in order to learn how I could help the LGBT communities gain greater use of feng shui,” Czyczynska says. Sometimes, this can be an even greater challenge than practicing feng shui in straight communities. Feng shui involves the balancing of masculine and feminine energies, with and in contrast to the individuals who occupy the home or workplace. “I’ve found that folks who love their same gender or a gender that isn’t ‘fixed’ – as in a transgender person – [have] the greatest opportunity to become internally balanced between their masculine and feminine attributes,” Czyczynska says. “When in a straight coupling, each individual tends to rely on the other to balance their gender expression. The woman tends to rely on her husband for the active role of protection or procurement of wealth, while the male tends to rely on the female for nurturance, beauty and spiritual growth. In a same-sex relation, we have two extremes of either too much feminine energy, which leads to domestic nesting, or too much testosterone which can lead to infidelity and materialism. When a same-sex couple meets the challenge of becoming balanced despite this extreme, I find that their relationship to self is much stronger than the average straight person’s, and that their relationships to their partner tend to be more satisfying and long-standing.”

Another home design trend is environmentally friendly interiors. Interior designer James Patrick Walters is just one of many designers who are integrating “green” into their work. “A significant trend that we are observing [this year] is “green design”: creating designs and products that endure for decades, made from renewable and recycled resources that harm neither the environment nor the people that make or use them,” Walters says.

This spring, those seeking to revitalize and redesign their homes or offices are seeking personalized design. “They want to tell their own unique story through an individual point of view,” Walters says. Designers are leaning toward neutral backgrounds, earthy jewel tones for accents and metallics like silver and bronze for sparkle. “We like to work in a style we call ‘naturally modern,’ where sculptural, clean-lined forms are expressed through natural materials like stone, metal, textured fabrics and rich woods,” Walters said. “Other popular style trends include ‘urban retro’ (mid-century modern furniture mixed with funky ’70s accessories and citrus colors like tangerine and lime), and ‘Hollywood glam’ (classic Baroque motifs reminiscent of ’40s Hollywood, including black and white schemes accented with lipstick or lemon yellow).

When asked about designing for GLBT clients, Walters remarks: “If anything characterizes our gay clients, it’s their desire for individual expression through sophisticated, one-of-a-kind spaces, and to enhance the quality of their lives with relaxed, casual elegance. There is rising popularity in the development of personal spaces such as bathroom spas, media rooms and home retreats.”

If a dose of designing, organizing and chi gets those spring cleaning gears moving, consider checking out the House n’ Yard Expo May 18-20. More than 250 exhibitors will showcase an extensive array of home and garden products and services at Qualcomm Stadium, ranging from kitchens to pools and everything in-between. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet and talk to a full range of contractors and home and garden specialists about the latest innovations to help make their current homes more livable. Parking and admission are free. For more information, visit www.housenyardexpo.com or contact Lawrence Bame at 858-350-3738.

1. Clear out clutter! This can clear the path to positive change. Removing the physical debris does wonders for emotional clearing and reduces confusion.

2. Make your front door truly welcoming. The entrance to your home or workplace is an important connection to the outside world.

3. Avoid rushing chi! Arrange furniture so that there is a comfortable “meandering” pathway through each room.

4. Deflect “poison arrows.” Sharp angles such as corners of furniture are considered to be “poison arrows.” They send out “shar chi,” or negative energy, which can be harmful. These angles should not be directed at seating or sleeping areas. “Poison arrows” can, in some cases, be disarmed by placing a plant or wind chime at the offending corner.

5. Eliminate negative vibes! That painting or knick-knack that everyone admires but you secretly can’t stand? Sell it, give it away or throw it away! Same for a photo that gives you a sad feeling each time you pass – if you must keep it, better to place it in a drawer. Your environment should contribute to your happiness and comfort.

6. Make the bedroom a restful place. Consider relocating the TV or computer elsewhere. Fountains and other water features do not belong here either. Bedroom mirrors should never be located where they can reflect the bed.

7. Keep the toilet lid down! The toilet is a drain on positive chi and should be kept closed when not in use. It is generally best to keep the bathroom door closed also.

Amanda Collins, Feng Shui Footprints

In order to create dramatic changes quickly and inexpensively, use paint. Nothing gives a room new life faster than a fun color that can be changed as easily as a season’s latest fashion.

Rearrange what you already own for a fresh new look.

Eliminate clutter and then add selectively. Always choose quality over quantity.

Unique and vintage items found at flea markets and garage sales can add personality to a space, but this sort of shopping is primarily about enjoying the search. Beware of impulse purchasing, as this can result in cluttered, incoherent spaces.

Design should be considered an investment. Good planning and the counsel of a professional can help you avoid making costly mistakes.

Sort through your mail every day. We save time when we attend to our mail each day. When we touch the same piece of paper several times, we are wasting time that could be spent doing the things we love to do. Give each piece of mail a destination in one of four places: the pay bills/attention file, the recycling bin, the shredder, or the reading area of your home.

Use those in-between minutes. When you have an extra five minutes, choose a drawer and clean it out. While watching TV, choose a drawer and organize it.

Trying to do it all at once can be overwhelming. But sometimes it feels so good to clean out one small area you will be motivated to move on to another. Reminder: Your trash maybe someone else’s treasure. Consider donating items rather than throwing them out.

Stay on top of the accumulation. Deal with the paper that takes over your home. Sometimes we don’t know where it all came from – flier on the door knob, receipts, a magazine you picked up at the local coffee shop, papers the kids bring home from school, outdated coupons. Recycle or distribute this paper every day.

Make a filing system. Go through your files and recycle or shred outdated papers. Remember to keep seven years of tax documentation. Gather all your important documents and place them in a folder at the front of your filing system and label it “Important Documents.” In case of emergency, all your papers are in one place ready for quick removal.