This thoughtful Lower East Side aerie has some extra good vibes — thanks to buried crystals and precious stones throughout the abode to bring harmony home.
Now this apartment combo at 367 Grand St. is on the market for $2.6 million in the Seward Park Cooperative buildings. The three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom home is 2,000 square feet and comes with 140 square feet of outside space.
“It’s always so much fun to take separate apartments and combine them. It’s like ‘Tetris,’” holistic and feng shui architect and interior designer Anjie Cho told Gimme Shelter.
The home boasts an open living/dining area and a chef’s kitchen.
It opens with a large foyer that leads to an open living space.
A main bedroom suite comes with two custom walk-in closets and an ensuite windowed bath. Details include white oak floors, hidden internet/tech equipment and lots of storage.
In addition to looking good and functioning well, this project was also about “exploring how to bring in the intentions for happiness, health and prosperity” for the client, Cho said.
“We aligned them with the chakras,” said Cho, who is author of “Holistic Spaces,” “Mindful Homes” and co-author of “Mindful Living.”
“One cool thing we did in the home is place crystals in the walls of the bathroom. In feng shui, bathrooms can be challenging for the qi (life force energy) and so we brought in crystals to bring in support to transform the energy.”
Cho also focused in creating “a spacious and inviting foyer.”
In feng shui, Cho explained, the entry is the source of all the qi in your home and life, bringing opportunities and positive energy.
“We made sure it was spacious and inviting,” she said. “It’s not great to walk into a home and face the windows, so we created a wall slightly off center with a focal point for beautiful art, but with enough room so that the qi could collect within the space.” (Sometimes, she explained, when the front door is aligned with a window, it is considered unfavorable because the qi can rush out, rather than gather in the space.)
The home is also surrounded by greenery, said listing broker Jerry Carlucci of Oxford Property Group.
“It’s almost as if you are living in a tree house,” Carlucci said. “Feng shui nature is very important, and having that infused within the built environment is important.”
While Carlucci isn’t a feng shui expert, he added: “Feng Shui is more complex than what I know. But from my perspective, I think New York can be a hostile environment and our homes act as our refuge. I can’t tell you how many times I get people who simply want a peaceful living environment. It has become the same luxury as an in-unit washer/dryer — which isn’t a luxury in most of the country!”
If Gimme readers are feeling a desire to bring some feng shui into their own homes, spring is a good time to do so, because that’s when the wood element qi begins to rise.
“The energy is stirring and pushing upward through the ground. Soon, we will have new growth all around us in the form of spring flowers. This burst of spring energy is a perfect time to work on your home with feng shui,” Cho said.
Pro tip: At home, Cho said, incorporate feng shui intentions into spring cleaning by turning it into a meaningful ceremony and invite “even more significant energy shifts into our lives.”
Set up an intention for yourself or your home. Incorporate the metal element by using a bell or an object with a clear ringing sound and use it wherever you want, or move to the center of your home and ring the bell nine times.
“Each time you ring the bell, feel the vibrations move through not only your home but also through you,” Cho said.