This is it after consultant Fawn Chang readjusted the room.

Harmony. We could all probably use more of it. Not the town of Harmony, though it's a lovely place, but the tranquility that can come from being in accord with our surroundings.

Practitioners of the ancient Chinese system called feng shui believe that everything has energy. The goal is to arrange our spaces to improve the flow of energy, also known as ch'i or qi, to improve the quality of life.

"I do believe everything is alive and has a connection and has a flow," said Audrey Whitstone of Butler. "And I believe that if you can connect with that and work with that, you're better off."

Energy and organization were two things Whitstone wanted to work on when Fawn

Chang, a certified feng shui consultant, visited her home recently.Chang, a graduate of the Western School of Feng Shui, among other studies, traveled from Sewickley to conduct a well-attended workshop at the Maridon Museum in Butler last fall. The museum houses an extensive collection of ancient and contemporary Asian art and hosts workshops on topics related to Asian culture."Everything is alive, everything is connected, everything is always changing," said Chang, noting the name feng shui comes from the Chinese words for wind and water.There are many schools of feng shui, but basic tenets include the interaction of five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. A multi-part equation based on a person's birthday determines which elements, and therefore their energies, influence each person's life.At Whitstone's three-story home, Chang noted wood, or tree energy — upward-moving and expansive. She said Whitstone had intuitively balanced the fast-moving upward motion with some dark colors and groupings of her collections, candlesticks and books."Seventy-five percent is usually done right intuitively," Chang said. "It's the other 25 percent we want to work on to get your dreams. There's what you need to get by, and then there's what you need to enjoy your life."Chang toured the brick home briefly, making a few suggestions such as taking down overhead shelves that make the people who walk beneath them unconsciously feel unsafe.She usually would focus on the entire house but this time concentrated on one particular room — the spare bedroom — for some readjusting.As in any other room, the "Godfather position," as Chang described it, is important. "You want to be able to see the door while you're lying in bed. You never want your back to a door because it's a vulnerable position," she said.

The bed won't fit anywhere else in the room? Position a mirror to reflect a line of sight to the door, she said. "In general, though, you don't want too many mirrors in a bedroom because they activate a space, and you want a bedroom to be restful."In the guest bedroom, Chang noted the usefulness of a corner shelf because energy stagnates in corners, Chang said. She placed a floor lamp in another corner. A plant or wind chime also would work for a corner. "Most indigenous cultures had round dwellings," she noted.A chair is nice for a bedroom, but if it's a couple's bedroom, there should be two chairs and the people should have the same access to the bed."The chairs should be for sitting, not pillows or clothes," Chang saidGood colors for a bedroom are greens and blues, she said. "They're very calming and cooling."Chang also suggested removing Whitstone's tabletop sewing machine to a workspace instead. The machine signifies activity, not restfulness, even if the occupant doesn't use it, Chang said. A bookshelf was removed altogether.Another key to a restful bedroom is a small nightstand, since it's nice to be able to have a small lamp or a glass of water nearby, but not a digital clock, Chang said."I have a battery-powered clock and it's across the room," she said.Jeanne McLaughlin of Saxonburg, who has taught classes on feng shui and building biology at the Yoma Room on Great Belt Road, agrees."A battery-operated clock is better than digital because it's not always drawing electricity toward your head," McLaughlin said.A bedroom should not contain a TV, radio or computer, both instructors said."At least cover up the TV if you have one," McLaughlin said. "The bedroom is the most important room in the house because it's where you rest and rejuvenate. It should be for two things: sleep and sex. When you say that in a feng shui class, it really wakes people up!"

McLaughlin started out studying feng shui but has now tended more toward building biology, a practical science that focuses on the effects of air, water and building quality on health.She is certified with the Feng Shui Institute International and trained at the Feng Shui Institute of America in Columbus, Ohio, practicing the Pyramid School, emphasizing the person/place connection. She also is a certified consultant with the Institute of Building Biology and Ecology."Feng shui was developed over 2,500 years ago when we didn't have all these cell phones and computers and toxic building materials," McLaughlin said.She brings the sights and sounds of nature indoors by opening her windows, even for a short time on some winter days, growing plants and small trees inside, ringing bells or chimes, and spritzing essential oils like lavender around her home. All these things help the energy flow.Clutter represents stagnant energy, Chang said. "Everything is what it is; it's not good or bad but how is it working for you. It's how can I make my house more harmonious.""Sometimes there's so much to do I don't know what to do first; consequently, I don't do anything," noted Whitstone. She can attest, however, to the good feelings of getting organized. She recently spent some time labeling shelves and dividing her craft books among them.

"I couldn't believe what a high it gave me," she said, laughing. "A friend borrowed a book and when she brought it back I thought, 'Ah! I know just where that goes."Chang, who said she has found the Form School of feng shui "most valuable because we have to move through the forms in our lives," recalled her apprehensiveness at first in putting these ideas into practice."I think I had been spending about four hours a day just looking for things I needed," Chang said. "When I got organized, I then had four hours a day to pursue my dreams. That was a little scary."

For more information, call the Maridon Museum at 724-282-0123, McLaughlin at 724-360-0901 or Chang at 412-741-1222.McLaughlin receives e-mail at jeannemc@connecttime.net Chang can be reached by e-mail at info@designandfengshui.com and has a Web site at www.designandfengshui.com. Or try the collection of books at the Butler Public Library or through other area libraries.

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Jeanne McLaughlin of Saxonburg arranges her spaces, like this bathroom with feng shui in mind. The plants also will help clean the air which is important in building biology, something McLaughlin has studied as well as taught in classes.

McLaughlin's television is in a cabinet in her Saxonburg home, where it can be covered up when not in use. Feng shui experts suggest doing this, especially in a bedroom to aid rest and rejuvenation.

Feng shui expert Chang, of Sewickley, left, and Butler homeowner Whitstone discuss what to leave, move or remove from that guest bedroom. According to Chang, a bedroom should not contain a television, radio or computer, because it is where one rests and rejuvenates. "It should be for two things — sleep and sex," Chang said.

This is Audrey Whitstone's guest bedroom before feng shui.

The dinning room in McLaughlin's house has its windows opended, even for a short time, most days to facilitate fresh air circulation.