FSView

September  06, 2004

Having fun with Funky Shui

A creative new decorating style encourages people to have fun with their living space

by Dana Nobile

Many college students are stuck living in drab apartments or cramped dorm rooms with minimum style and décor.

Even when a more ornamental living space is desired, students often lack the financial flexibility to decorate. However, students now have more options thanks to sisters Jennifer and Kitty O'Neil, authors of "Decorating with Funky Shui: How to Lighten Up, Loosen Up, and Have Fun Decorating Your Home."

Both women attended FSU and have a good understanding of student life. Jennifer studied film while an undergraduate and Kitty studied fine arts in graduate school.

The sisters are very pleased with the book, and want to inform others about the unique style of Funky Shui.

"Funky Shui is like Feng Shui, but it's less about wind chimes and more about snow globes," Jennifer O'Neill said. "Decorating with Funky Shui is all about surrounding yourself with the things you love to bring joy and happiness into your life."

The name, however, can be slightly misleading. Funky Shui is not necessarily like Feng Shui, the similarly titled style of décor.

"Funky Shui isn't really derived from Feng Shui," Kitty O'Neill said. "We've just always decorated with our own unique sense of style. We realized one day it was more Funky Shui than Feng Shui."

Funky Shui is best described as a way to incorporate individual style into decorating, resulting in a living space that reflects the owner. Just about anything can be used, including old toys, books, souvenirs and even pez dispensers. The O'Neils' book explains exactly how to incorporate all of these odds and ends to create an overall fun and livable environment.

"Start by brainstorming about what you enjoy, like a favorite movie, and then use that as your room theme," Jennifer O'Neil said. "It's a great place to start because a theme makes all the design decisions for you."

One aspect of Funky Shui that many find favorable is that it does not require spending a lot of money.

"One of the joys of Funky Shui is that you start with what you already have, like your collection of Hawaiian Tiki gods," Kitty O'Neil said. "It's not expensive because you don't have to get rid of the stuff you love, so you're halfway there. Plus, we like color and paint is cheap!"

This decorating technique can also save money because there is no need to hire an interior decorator.

"Funky Shui gives you permission to decorate with the things you love and have some fun," Jennifer O'Neil said. "College students are one of the main groups who usually don't have trouble coming across stuff that could easily be turned into decoration."

Another aspect of this style is that it's all about what the owner wants, likes and has. The O'Neil sisters are bored of everyday plain living space and are seeking desperately to help everyone change what they see as a boring fad.

"We're seeing a backlash to the Boring '90s. People got rid of all their stuff and painted everything white," Kitty O'Neil said. "And now that Martha Stewart is distracted, it's time for us to have some fun. We want some humor, some color, and we want our stuff back."

And the sisters practice what their book preaches by decorating their own homes completely with the Funky Shui style.

"Our homes are Funky Shui from the front door to the garden," Jennifer O'Neil said. "For example, Kitty has a toy-themed living room (as seen on the cover of the book), and I have a Romeo and Juliet-themed bedroom (page 76)."

Both women encourage students to take advantage of the affordable and charming style of Funky Shui and enjoy it as much as possible.

Decorating with Funky Shui is available on Amazon.com and at bookstores everywhere. More information on Funky Shui can also be found on the sisters' Web site, www.DecoratingWithFunkyShui.com.

The O'Neil sisters are also coming out with another book ideal for college students, titled "Throw a Party With Funky Shui: Eat, Drink, and Be Funky!"

And the sisters want readers to remember: "It's all about fun."