San Francisco Chronicle

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Sisters find the funky side of feng shui

by Laurel Wellman

Some time ago an acquaintance observed, "Boredom is the new angst." Well, life under late-stage capitalism is never easy, and there comes a time in every renter's life when she looks around her apartment and just wants to spray-paint something on the wall.

This is part of the reason I found myself at Cha Cha Cha on Haight for an early lunch with Jennifer and Kitty O'Neil, sisters and co-authors of "Decorating With Funky Shui: How to Loosen Up, Lighten Up and Have Fun Decorating Your Home."

"If feng shui is the art of arranging objects to promote harmony, then funky shui is the art of arranging objects to make your home and your life fun, " the O'Neils explain in their book.

And, since fun is the opposite of boredom and angst, learning to follow the "Funky Shui" home decor precepts could be a cure for all kinds of troubles. But how did the O'Neils arrive at a system that asks practitioners to "find the playful center" of each room and recognize the key concept of "gaining abundance through abundance?"

"We've actually always decorated this way," said Jennifer, who has long brunet hair and is gorgeous.

"We joked about the name," said Kitty, who has long blond hair and is also gorgeous. "We kept calling it funky shui, and it sort of dawned on us after a while that it was a real philosophy and a real style."

The sisters are passionate anti-minimalists who cite as an early influence their artist mother, who painted flowers on the washer and dryer and cartoons on the kitchen cabinets. "My parents bought this enormo house very close to the Air Force base in Tampa," said Jennifer. "They spent all their money on the house. So then they had no furnishings, nothing. So mom got creative."

"There were these pipes that were exposed in the bathroom downstairs," said Kitty. "And she glued rhinestones all over them."

An appreciation of fun may run in their family: The sisters' maternal grandfather was Chic Young, who created the "Blondie" comic strip.

Jennifer and Kitty, who live in the Bay Area, offer lots of suggestions for adding fun to your decor, along with ideas on how best to organize the fun that already may be there.

By all means, get out your collections of rooster ornaments, snow globes, Pez dispensers, Legos, you name it. But don't just put them any old place: The O'Neils point out that merely displaying a collection isn't the same as showing it to its best advantage.

"We have lots of friends who have collections through the whole house," said Jennifer.

"I see that all the time, too," said Kitty. "Somebody collects something, and there's a little bit in the bathroom, a little bit in the kitchen, a little bit in the dining room."

"It kind of waters it down," said Jennifer. "But you put it all together, display it beautifully, and all of a sudden you have a museum collection."

And while at first blush it might seem that funkiness would be more easily achieved by collectors of, say, World's Fair-themed highball glasses than of, say, Faberge eggs, the sisters think this view is too limiting. "It could be funky," said Kitty, thoughtfully. "Faberge eggs are pretty awesome. The funky part is kind of letting go of being traditional and being staid."

In fact, the O'Neils see their style as part of a backlash against an overly safe, Pottery Barn-type aesthetic. "Especially in the '90s, we had a big emphasis on clean lines and simple living, and everybody put their stuff away and everything [was] white," said Kitty.

But while walls aren't particularly funky, Jennifer and Kitty suggest painting them in inspirational colors. For a home office they recommend the Color of Money, Blue Chip or Gold Standard. Oh, and for flavor, get out more of your stuff.

"A lot of people have really kooky, great things but they [are] in their closet," said Jennifer.

"People are very concerned that something is tacky and that people are going to judge them," said Kitty. "I think people feel kind of judged, and they don't live in their homes as much as I think they should. You should make it so you love it. When you open the door, you should know it's your house."

As fans of the personal, they especially appreciate Cha Cha Cha's wall altars and immediately began musing about other possible uses for an old pair of crutches, as featured in the altar above our table. But if you, unlike them, are having trouble getting rolling with ideas, "Funky Shui" has plenty to go around. In a kitchen, for instance, the authors suggest hanging framed, autographed 8-by-10s of celebrities "to capture the mood of a good diner and ensure good dining."

The sisters already are working on their next project, a book of funky shui-themed parties, including a prom do-over and a bad art auction. "We love hanging out together and doing stuff together, and it turns out we love working together," said Kitty.

Until the next book, Jennifer has a suggestion: "Get out a glue gun and lighten up."

© 2004 San Francisco Chronicle.