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Stutzman used Feng Shui principles in her design of the interior of the REACH Thrift Store. Her work on the project is featured in "The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Prosperity: True Accounts of People Who Have Applied Essential Feng Shui to Their Lives and Prospered" by Terah Kathryn Collins.
When Stutzman first looked at the large black and white former jazz night club she thought, "this place is pure magic waiting to happen."
First Stutzman suggested using bright coral in the receiving/sorting room to keep the Ch'i flowing. For the children's area she used a "Wizard of Oz" theme associated with joy and encouragement. For the upscale clothing, Stutzman created an area of strong, positive self image.
Local artists shared their talents converting the once-stark walls to a kaleidoscope of purple, coral, cayenne red, turquoise and gold.
In its first three days of business REACH brought in $6,900 in sales. This was as much as they had made in a month before their move.
"It's like night and day. My employees are happy. I have lots of volunteers and we have a lot more people shopping here. Donations are arriving in better shape, too," REACH director Jean Bockstahler said. "It isn't just a thrift shop it's a Feng Shui experience."
Stutzman, a student of world-renowned Feng Shui master Thomas Lin Yun, said when you go into a place "it is important to know it feels good."
Feng Shui is built on simplistic principles, the first of which is that everything in the world is alive with the vital energy call Ch'i.
"When you view the world in this way, belongings such as furniture, artwork, clothing, equipment are transformed from lifeless stuff into living things that stimulate specific thoughts, feelings and memories," said Collins, founder of the Western school of Feng Shui in Solana Beach, Calif.
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