Feng Shui comes to town

By Cathy Ochung

Calming. That is what the word Zen means, loosely translated from Japanese. Indeed, Zen garden lives up to its name.

Strong Colour

The interior design of the gardens is centred on Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics and organisation of objects such as furniture.

As such, both simple and luxurious furniture have been used, while colour is applied to different elements in accordance with Feng Shui principles to give the garden its inimitable ambience.

The three spaces within the gardens include a coffee house, a bar and an oriental restaurant, with the latter standing out the most. Each space has, however, been finished according to the activity it houses.

Red, the strongest colour in Feng Shui system, is the dominant colour of the oriental restaurant. It bleeds from the furniture to the cutlery and on to the waiters uniform. According to the designers, there is a lot of energy and direction in the colour red.

Photos: Pius Cheruiyot/Standard

At the coffee outlet, space is amply provided. This lack of clutter psychologically relaxes guests so they hang around the coffee house for long. A large mirror sits in the middle of the restaurant giving the impression of an even larger space.

The sunny colour orange crowns the place. In its different shades, orange is used in the furniture as well as the accessories.

Breaking with the traditional crowding of bars with furniture, the Zen bar is easy, with bright shades of pink and blue dominant. Each section of the bar has a different colour scheme and seating arrangement.

To visit Zen is to spend quality time in ones own space, literally.