After the Scottish restaurant’s Feng Shui’d, the heartbeat of the establishment increases to attract more of the customers they were looking for.

Autumnal visit to the Scottish Borders

Have returned from a wonderful Autumnal visit to the Scottish Borders where sheep sell for £90,000 each and farmers celebrate by buying a new Land Rover. I was on a mission to achieve a Feng Shui result for my clients in an old coaching house.

The trees were in full splendour, the waterfalls swelled by rain.  Still enjoying the tail end of late summer meant we were outside comfortably without ear muffs or umbrella. 

I’d never visited Scotland before besides Edinburgh, which is remarkable because the Scottish Borders is clearly my kind of place.  Stunning mountain scenery, wide open spaces, big dramatic skies, super-friendly people, first-class food and shopping.

It’s easy to get there – and a long drive too. Head north on the M6, blend onto the A74 (M), hang a right at Moffat (soon after Gretna Green) and you’ll embark on a breath-taking scenic road that runs all the way to Edinburgh.  The client I was visiting has a coaching house on this road, about an hour from the capital.

Scottish restaurant’s Feng Shui’d

I first crossed paths with the new restauranteurs, Bryn and Oxana Jones, at their previous gastro pub/restaurant in Kirklington, Oxfordshire.  Part of the Feng Shui brief two years ago was to help them manifest a bigger property with more scope for their culinary skills.  They landed that opportunity in April 2022 when they took over The Gordon Arms Restaurant with Rooms in the Yarrow Valley. 

Built more than 200 years ago, The Gordon Arms in its heyday was a regular haunt of local literati such as Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns.  About to enter a new heyday of fine cuisine with its current owners, the Feng Shui brief was to enable this objective to be met.  The couple had sought out a property in Wales but the coaching inn in Scotland kept calling them back.  After their second visit they relented and have not looked back since.

Bryn is an exceptional chef and whether it’s breakfast or dinner you can expect Michelin quality.  It won’t be long before that status is theirs and the Egon Ronay accolade, both of which they have enjoyed in the past.  Alongside Bryn in the kitchen, Oxana’s baking and desserts are to die for.  We certainly ate well in the four days we basked in Autumnal glory there.

Feng Shui consultation begins

When the new owners moved in we did some immediate Feng Shui remotely online. We ironed out immediate concerns and addressed the problem of the ‘missing corner’ in an online consultation.

The purpose of my visit was to observe first-hand how Ch’i energy was moving in and around the space, as evidenced by the way guests were engaging with the environment.  My task was to recommend how we might affect customer behaviour – even those who had not yet visited the property – in a way that was more aligned with the owners’ needs.

Outdoors

All four roads leading to the property were considered.  Also the proximity to the river and the various carparks and gardens, including the site that would become their private home. Of great importance too was the main entrance and the one used by overnight guests.  Recommendations covered the placement of larger planters to ‘protect’ the property, external lighting, signage and choice of colours.

FIRE element

The old coaching inn absorbs its history and setting beautifully. Because the climate is cool it calls out for extra FIRE element (see Feng Shui 5 Elements of Change) to balance the other four. 

To increase the heartbeat of this establishment and attract more business required us to step up the FIRE element. FIRE enhancements include:-

1. Colour.  Reds, orange, pinks, gold. 
2. Temperature.  Warmth, heating, open fires, candles. 
3. Ambient and natural lighting.  Good quality, evenly distributed throughout. 
4. Real people, animals, birds (with their heart energy). Also themed in artwork and ornaments.  (I noticed dog visitors were very comfortable here – and useful too.) 
5. Furs, skins, leather and feathers (real and artificial).  Provide good textures and finishes. 
6. Triangle.  The shape is associated with FIRE – like a flame.

All six fires are useful to this property and advantageous to keep them in working order as open fires or to display for large candles. 

The old original wooden shutters are ideal to prevent heat and Ch’i escaping through the large bay windows.  Benches or ottomans covered in warm-coloured tweed blankets would sit well underneath, in the bay itself.

‘Relationship corner’

A large room at the back of the property isn’t yet open. Plans were well underway for it to become a private dining area.  Generally speaking, it’s all too easy for empty rooms to become storage spaces for surplus furniture. This can have a corresponding stultifying effect on the owners’ life. In light of the fact this room sits in the Relationship corner, it is important that a flow of good Ch’i continues unabated for good relationships to abound. 

We debated practical versus Feng Shui considerations for the location of the dining table to seat 12-18 people. Colour and fabric options for the curtains and sofas were discussed and the positioning of the Christmas tree.  We sourced stunning artwork of Scottish dancers to bring vibrancy, joy and human connection to this room, particularly for when it wasn’t in use to keep the energy alive. 

This private room with large windows and plenty of daylight lends itself to a fabulous workshop and training space.  Therefore, I have already earmarked a Vision Board workshop retreat here in the Scottish Borders in 2023. 

Client review their Feng Shui’d Scottish restaurant

“If you would like to uplift your art of living in all aspects, I would like to recommend Mary Nondé to you. This is our second experience with her and this time she travelled to Scotland to see our new building in person.

“She gave us so many ideas and advice on how to make our hospitality business and house more welcoming and prosperous. All the new elements were absolutely affordable.  On occasion she would simply suggest moving items “from right to left” and it immediately made a difference, giving a better feeling to the place.

“Another great aspect of working with Mary is she is a good listener and she ‘feels’ you through your words.  She attends to what you really want to achieve and kindly helps to navigate you to the final goal. All her new ideas are most aspiring and I cannot wait to start implementing them into our life.

“Thank you very much, Mary, and hope to see you again in our Scottish Borders.”

Bryn & Oxana Jones || The Gordon Arms Restaurant with Rooms