vastu latest

herdoor andher businesspickedup”

Vastu vs. Feng ShuiBothVastu andFengShui

 bring solutions topeoples’lives,work andhomespacesthroughcures andremediesbased onprinciplesof spaceorientation,alignment andenergy flow,Silvermansays, butVastuisthousandsof yearsolder— andmore effective— thanFengShui.“Eachwants you tobehappy, healthyandprosperous.Frommyresearch,Vastugivesthebestresults,”she says.In theVastuapproach,each

ofthe five elementshasa pre-dominantrelationship toacertainsectorof thehome. Theideal placement of thekitchenis southeast,explainsSilverman,

 because“subtle infraredraysthatcome in from the southeastarevery nourishing.” Thenorth-east isgoodforwater, whichisessential to life. “Waterfeaturessuchas fountains, ponds, andwaterfallsbelongin thenorth-east ornorthern cornerof thehomeor property,” shesays.Thesouthwest representsthe

earthelement. “Earth is ground-ingandquieter, more secure.Amasterbedroomwould ide-ally be situatedhere.And thenorthwest is theairelement—perfectforthe placementof awindowtobring freshness intothehome,”says Silverman.“Thecenterof any roomor building istheelementof space. Ifit’sopenandnotobstructed,it encour-agesexpansivenessand sup-portshealth.”Of course,you can’t justpick 

roomsupandrearrangethemaccording to optimalVastuplacement, so there arecuresthatSilvermanrelieson. “A yan-tra isa little cosmicdiagramthatgenerates specificlife-support-ingenergies,” shesays. “Thesecanbeplaced throughout thespace. I consider thembeautifulartwork but theycan beplaced

Vastu tobe justwhatsheneededfor herGlorieta home.“You reach a point youdon’t

knowwhatto donext,”shesays.“I felt like the energywasjammed in the house.Sherri was able togo righttothe issues,address themandcome upwith solutionsthatreallyworked out.It wastotallyworthwhile.”Clientsfind Silvermanin a

variety ofways,includingwordofmouth, fromher book,viaInternet searcheson Vastuandthrough herWeb site,www.transcendencedesign.com.Santa FeresidentTamiCarl-

songot interestedin Vastuwhen sheheard SilvermanonKSFR101.1 inDecember 2007.Sheandhusband GeoffTowlehad“been intunewithFengShui,” Carlson says, butdidn’trealize Vastuwas somucholder. “That appealed to us,”shesays.Towle adds, “It’s a lotlike Feng Shui. Thedifferencecomes down towhat youwantto believe in.”Thecouplehad justmoved

into their newhomewhen theyenlisted Silverman’s expertise.“Wework from home andhavetwoyoungkids, andwewantedtofigure out how I could focus

 betterwhile working,”Towlesays.“We’vegottenhold of thecraziness aroundhere usingVastu and Sherri’s help.”Carlson agrees. “We noticed

a difference.We have a yantrainthe kitchenand itreallychangesthe energy,” she says.“Sherrialso knowsdesignandcolor reallywell.She encour-agedus togowithwhat wereally love.”

 JacquelineAntonius soughtSilverman’s inputbeforeopening hernewsalon, LotusBeauty, on the cornerof St.FrancisDrive andAgua FríaStreet a fewmonthsago. Spe-cializingin organic andchemi-cal-free hair color, Antoniuswantedthe space to reflectacalmand healthy environment.“Sherrilookedat the spaced hel d meplanit,” sh

pose. I gotowork and I feelsereneandall myclients arehappy. I’ve gottengreat feed-

 back.”

Antonius believes Silverman“really knowsher stuff. I justtrust her,” she says.

‘Feeling the space’Silvermancan consult from

the initialdesign andplace-ment ofa homeorbusinesstocreating solutions for existingspaces. She says hasworked

on large andsmall projects inSantaFe, Italy, Australia, Koreaandthe UnitedKingdom,“Right now I amworking on

a remodel inMassachusettsandnew construction inNewEngland,” she says. “Clientssendme the floor plansmarkedwith cardinal directionswitha compass. Theysometimessend photos, and the issues andproblemswith the space andtheir lives.”To doherwork, Silverman

relies on her intuition, sensitiv-ity tobeautyandonaskingtheright questions. “I’mnot justfollowing a checklist,”she says.“It’snot mechanical. I’mfeel-ingthe space, andI’m listeningtowhat peopleneed.We’reexposed to somany influencesthat areunsettling ina worldthat canbe stressful. It paystocreate a positiveeffect wher-everwecan.”

 Formore information onVastuand Transcendence

 Design, visitmwww.transcen-dencedesign.comor contact SherriSilverman at (505)984-0108.

Continued fromPageG-1

Wallpaper has exploded back intoour lives.We are using it inevery room in thehome. Often

 just on a focalwall,but I haveseen these exciting newpat-terns used on everythingfromfurnishings to ceilings. Therearetwomajor trendsin paperdesignshowing equal popular-ity. The first is large,overblownpatterns andmotifs. Seenincolorand black-and-white, thesearegorgeouspatterns thatwillevokeanymoodyou choose,from cheerful blossoms to dra-matic geometrics. By changingthe scale of familiar patterns,you create a moderntwist ontraditional style.Thesecondtrendin wallcover-

ings isdirectly connected to themove towardaddingtexture—this ishugein allareasoffashion,includingwhatwe areputtingonourwalls.Specialty embossedwallcoveringsAnaglypta (heavypaper)and Lincrusta(petroleum

 based)have beenaroundforyears,very popularin England,where they are holding uphalf thewalls.Today’sembossedwallpapers arelighterand easierto apply, but theystill provideallthebenefits.Textured or embossed wall-

paper is a perfect solutionforcovering small cracksandimperfections onwalls thatwould show under a paintedfinish.Also, the texture addsdimension and architecturalinterest to newrooms. Thepat-terns on these paperscan emu-late bead board,embossedtin,weavesand stucco.The papersare paintable,whichprovidesyouwith the optionof applyinga solid color or accentuating thepattern witha rubbedfinishEmbossed paper is very

versatile anddurable. Apply itabove a chairrailin theliving ordiningroom, as a backsplashinthekitchen (varnish to protect);you caneven cover a chestof drawers for an inspired decora-tive touch. It canbe repaintedfor a whole new look.Thenursery shownhere could go

frompinkto greenas yourbabygrows into a youngnature lover.

Undoubtedly, papering aroom ismore expensivethansimplypainting. Thecost of aprofessional paperhangerforyour belovednewpapercan bethesame asthe actual price of the paper. Here’swhat youneedtoknowto doit yourself— notso difficult with practice.

Walls shouldbe properlyprepared beforeyou hangthepaper sothat itadheres wellandcanbe removed easilywhen thetimecomesto decorate again.Wipe downwalls to removeanydirt or grease, whichwillimpedeadherence. Sandwallsif the surface paint is glossy. Fillcracksand nailholes andsandsmooth.Primeoverrepairs.Applya coat of wallpapersize;thisstep ismost important sothat thepaperwillcomeoff withoutpulling plaster or dry-wall withit. New drywall orplasterwallsrequire a sealer/ prime coat, thensize.

Measure thewallsin threeorfourspots.Youwilldiscoverthattheheight variesslightly. Cutyour strips themaximumheightplus 2 inches topandbottomforoverlap.Matchpatternsbeforeyou cut.Usea plumb lineas aguidefor yourfirststrip sothatit ishangingstraight.Don’tuse acorneras a guide. Start hangingyourpaper inthe mostincon-spicuousplace, suchas behinda door, so thatanymismatchingwillnot benoticeable.Workwitha buddy, andyou’llhave fun.

ContactDebbie Travis at house2home@debbietravis.com.

Latest trendsin wallcoverings

THE NEW MEXICAN’S

Quest Mortgage Corp  5 .3 75 +0 +2 4 .8 75 +0 +2 5 .3 75 +0 +1 5 .5 0+ 0+ 2 5 .0 0+ 0+ 2 6 .6 25 +0 +2 6 .2 5+ 0+ 2   Great Service and Great Rates, Call Now.

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www.iMortgageGuide.com 

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today

released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market

Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate

mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.88 percent with an

average 0.5 point for the week ending April 3, 2008,

up from last week when it averaged 5.85 percent.

Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged

year ARM averaged 5.92 percent.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.19

percent this week with an average 0.5 point, down

from last week when it was 5.24 percent. At this

time last year, the 1-year ARM averaged 5.44 per-

cent.

"While prime, conforming rates still remain at his-

strongest since July 2007, and the ISM manufactur-

ing index rose unexpectedly in March. Strong eco-

nomic growth can lead to an up-tick in inflation

fears, which tends to place upward pressure on mort-

gage rates; however, fears of economic recession,

too, are putting pressure on the markets.

"Housing, however, still continues to be a drag on

Weekly  Mortgage News

  O M

m o r t g a g er a t e slocal   WWW .S ANTAF E N EW M EXICAN .COM  /R EALE STATE 

LENDER   30- YEAR   15- YEAR   ARMS   30- YR F HA /VA 1 5- YR F HA / VA 3 0- YR JBO 15- YR JBO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR RATE+PTS /APR

G-2  THE NEW MEXICAN   Sunday, April 6, 2008

Vastu: Yantas consideredmorethanartwork

DEBBIE TRAVIS

 House to Home 

IF YOU GO

What: Talk and read-ing from Vastu: Tran-scendental Home Designin Harmony with Naturewith Sherri Silverman;booksigning to follow

When: 1 p.m. Satur-day, April 12

Where: Casa Natura,328 Sandoval St. (atAztec Street)

For more informa-tion: Call 820-7634.

House to Home

Paintable embossed wallpaper is available in modern designoptions like this cheerful dotty pattern painted pink for a happynursery.

Erika Blumenfelt

According to Vastu philosphy, this Santa Fe kitchen is properly placed in the southeast of the home, which is the area in whichthe fire element is predominant.

artwork, but theycan beplaced behind framedartwork or in acupboard.”

Looking at ‘flow’CarolWilliamsonfound

and helpedmeplanit,” shesays.“We lookedat flow, wheretheenergy travels,where theentrance shouldbe andwhereweshouldplace ourretailproducts. Each differentpartofthe salon hasa specialpur-

For updated Rates, Programs,cal-

culators and articles 24/7, visit:www.iMortgageGuide.com:

Lenders to Apperar: email sales@iMortgageGuide.comConsumers: To report any inaccuracies emailinfo@iMortgagGuide.com. Information is current as of April 4, 2008 and believed to be accurate but can notbe guaranteed and can change without notice. Credithistory, FICO Score and other factors may affect pro-gram terms. Rates based on $165,000 single familyloan. Jumbo rates (loans over $417,000) based on a$417,000 loan. Minimum downpaymentrequirements, and other restrictions, may apply. Closingcosts may vary. Contact each company for details. R =refinance program only. Pts = points include originationand discount fees. Lock = rate lock period. 30 - 60 daylock unless specified. APR = Annual Percentage Rateand is calculated by each company – includes costs toobtain loan and private mortgage insurance if required.ARM (pgm) = Adjustable Rate Mortgage program.Copyright 2008 iMortgageGuide.com LLC

Visit our Web sites www.iMortgageGuide.com or www.SantaFeNewMexican.com/RealEstate for current rates and much more!

National Mortgage Rates

Loan Rate% APR%

30yr fixed 5.74 5.87

30yr fixed jumbo 6.78 6.92

15yr fixed 5.30 5.50

15yr fixed jumbo 6.44 6.68

5/1 ARM 5.58 6.18

5/1 ARM jumbo 6.27 6.55

6.17 percent.

The 15-year FRM this week averaged 5.42 percent

with an average 0.5 point, up from last week when it

averaged 5.34 percent. A year ago at this time, the

15-year FRM averaged 5.87 percent.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate

mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.59 percent this week,

with an average 0.6 point, down from last week

when it averaged 5.67 percent. A year ago, the 5-

torically low levels, long-term mortgage rates did

drift slightly upwards this week on signs that the

economy may have a little more strength than what

financial markets forecasted," said Frank Nothaft,

Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist.

"For instance, consumer spending in the fourth quar-

ter of 2007 was revised upwards in the final estimate

of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). More recently,

February's personal income growth was the

the economy. In 2007, residential fixed investment

shaved nearly a full percentage point off of GDP, the

most since 1980. In February, median existing house

prices (excluding condominiums and co-ops) were

16.0 percent below the peak in June 2007 and medi-

an new home prices were 7.0 percent below the

record set in March 2007. Moreover, new construc-

tion of one-family homes was 61.5 percent below its

all-time recent peak in January 2006."

S o u r c e : w w w . i M o rt g a g e G u i d e . c o m

A yantra, SherriSilverman

says, is ‘a littlecosmic diagram

that generatesspecific life-

supportingenergies.’

Above: yantrais for Mercury,

‘planetary lord ofthe north.’

Courtesy TranscendenceDesign