Little did she know that her home furnishings may have been blocking her blessings.

Cloud, an art teacher in Newark’s Lincoln Elementary School and mother of two young sons, has filled her Montclair home with a captivating array of expressive arts. There are eye-catching paintings she made as part of her graduate studies in Switzerland; musical instruments she uses to jam with family, friends and the teen girls she mentors in her "Young Woman, Wise Woman" program; and an impressive array of books and art supplies.

There are family photos, spiritual altars and the mix of toys and technology common to modern households, all aesthetically arranged.

But it took an in-home session with Suzy Minken, a certified Feng Shui consultant, to help Cloud see the light and learn how to reorganize her décor to better suit her romantic intentions.

First, Minken and Cloud walked through all the rooms, discussing why things were put in certain places, and how various items were used in the Cloud family’s daily lives.

"Feng Shui is all about energy. It’s about the placement of furnishings. It’s really the patterns that you see, not just in this room, but throughout the house," Minken said as they surveyed Cloud’s bedroom.

"If you consider that you spend one-third of your life in your bedroom, having a master bedroom that nourishes and supports you can translate into greater romance," Minken said.

"You have three images of single women right in this area," Minken told Cloud of the "romance corner," the rear right corner of any room as seen from the entrance.

"It would be helpful to see a pair of some kind, or a loving couple here — that would be great."

Minken then gave Cloud a few simple tips for moving existing furnishings to enhance the energy flow and to "make room for a romantic partner to come into your bed, into your life."

As Cloud had expected before consulting with Minken, she was sternly instructed to remove her desk from the bedroom.

"Karma’s bedroom was functioning as a place where she folded her laundry and where she did her work. We needed to raise her awareness that it was happening and see if she was agreeable to setting the intention that she wanted to attract romance into her life," Minken explained.

"If so, she needed to make room for that."

more ‘sharing energy’

Cloud got the picture. "It was like a blind spot, always having that image of a single woman in my head," Cloud said. "This makes me reflect even more on the seriousness of my intentionality. And I’m excited about finding some couples imagery."

Minken and Cloud moved a desk and chair out of the bedroom, brought in a nightstand and repositioned the bed to free up more energy.

"What are you sharing your bedroom with: kids, a TV, workout equipment, a desk? If you want to enhance romance, whether with your partner, or to attract a partner, the principles are very similar," Minken said.

"It has definitely made me feel lighter, and more playful, about inviting someone into my life," Cloud said. "I feel more of a sharing energy in my space, in my mind and in my outlook."

While the principles of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, are quite specific, "Feng Shui is about listening to the client and understanding who they are. That’s why it goes beyond decorating," said Minken, who will share tips in a workshop on romantic Feng Shui this evening, Thursday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Gallery 51, 51 Church St.

At least one Montclair entrepreneur senses a market for this expertise.

"We don’t get training in romance, in the how-to, and there’s no focus or follow-up, so there is a big information gap that people are looking to fill," said Irisha Brown, proprietress of Intimate Engagements boutique in Montclair, who is sponsoring the workshop.

"My sense is that there is an opportunity for everyone who is interested in romance to learn more about finding, keeping and nurturing good relationships," Brown said.

from real estate to romance

Minken didn’t set out to specialize in romantic redecorating. After a successful career as a human resources and marketing consultant, she found herself downsized, divorced and facing surgery.

Then she had to contend with a mudslide behind her home.

"I could have sued, but that is not my nature," Minken said. Instead, she went on a retreat, where it was suggested that she should be doing Feng Shui.

She had never heard of it.

After learning more, Minken attended the Feng Shui Alliance in Wayne, becoming certified in 2006.

Since then, she has found a niche working with Realtors to help spur sales and rentals.

"I take the marketing process beyond real estate staging to the next level, using Feng Shui to enable the buyer to fully resonate with the house, wanting to make it their home," Minken explained.

Realtor Bobbee Mulvee of Coldwell Banker relied on Minken to help sell her Westfield home. "She worked with what I had. We changed some linens and things like that, but it was mostly rearranging, putting up a mirror there and taking something else down there, changing furniture around," Mulvee said.

"At first, I just kind of rolled my eyes, but when she was done, I got it. The room was much more inviting. It made a difference."

And, in short order, the house sold.

"When I move into my new house, I will definitely have her come in," Mulvee said. As for introducing Feng Shui to her clients, "I would use Suzy, at my own expense, depending on the client."

Scott Gleason, a Realtor at ReMax in Westfield, first brought Minken in to help sell a house that wasn’t moving. "When Suzy came in, it had been on the market for five months," Gleason said.

"It went from dead in the water to people becoming interested, to sold."

The foray into romantic consultations wasn’t planned, but Minken found that more people were seeking advice in that area, including several of the baristas in local Starbucks.

"One Montclair couple I’ve worked with has a beautiful home, with lots of space. But on the way to the master bedroom, you saw the office. And the wall of the master bedroom, on the husband’s side of the bed, was sharing a wall with the computer desk.

"I asked the wife how her husband was sleeping and whether he felt a pull to go into the office before he went to bed. This turned out to be the case. We moved the office to a different part of the house, and they were pleased with the change," Minken said.

"In Feng Shui, the energies of the person provide a key link to understanding who they are and how the energy patterns of their home support them in achieving their life’s goals," Minken said.