Safir Micael Shamsi On How He Created A Feng Shui Pied-À-Terre

“I wanted to take all of the measures I could to truly feel at home,” said Safir Micael Shamsi. Like many Americans during the tail end of the pandemic, Mr. Shamsi was experiencing latent discontent. While his business in real estate was thriving, his mental headspace was not ideal. Also like dozens of Americans mid-pandemic, Mr. Shamsi moved into a new space. But it wasn’t until he hired a Feng Shui expert that suddenly everything shifted for him mentally and physically.

The cornerstone of the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui is the relationship between a person and their environment. A well-oriented space can allow the inner self to harmonize with its surroundings. While each individual’s most ideal Feng Shui orientation at home is based on birth dates and times, in many cases, less clutter and negative space is a predominant theme. In a 2012 study by UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families (CELF), 32 middle-class families in Los Angeles were researched over the course 9 years. The study highlighted human material culture and the way Americans cope with life’s stresses through conspicuous consumption and possession accumulation. During times of less at-home clutter, the subjects exhibited heightened levels of productivity and better sleep.

A proven method of decreasing stress levels, the essentialism when choosing decor and belongings may evoke curiosity. “I moved all of my mirrors because they could not face south. I had a large leaning mirror, but that had to be fixed to the wall,” Mr. Shamsi said while describing his own personal Feng Shui adjustments. “David Bowie once lived here, and the building is over 100-years-old. There were energy clearing steps I was instructed to take first and foremost, like using white sage and lavender, and putting salt lamps in every corner for negative ion diffusion.”

Mr. Shamsi felt dramatic changes within a few weeks of his Feng Shui improvements. The effects moved from physical harmony at home into his imaginative, emotional state. “I had a creative block for years that I couldn’t resolve. Professionally I was successful but I needed another outlet for my creativity.” Having worked in real estate since 2009, the Los Angeles native realized he was not only able to find clients a home, but he’s able to help them transform their own space into an oasis. After a year of research and development, Mr. Shamsi formed Studio ROI — a brand built on design concepts that help modify homes into the type of safe haven all individuals crave.

“Because of my real estate background, I’ve found I’m actually able to help people — even with minor changes. Someone who hasn’t worked in the industry may not identify or feel overwhelmed by,” said Mr. Shamsi about Studio ROI’s approach to devising a harmonized home for clients. “You don’t need a huge budget — quite the opposite. We can do a lot with a little. It just takes the right eye and energy flow.”