Yin, Yang and Electricity

Most people, on discovering that water leaks have knocked out the electricity supply at the office, would call a plumber. But not Barbara Corcoran, head of Corcoran Group, the New York real estate firm. She called her favourite expert in feng shui (happily for a leaky building, the literal meaning is wind and water). The flamboyant Corcoran, who proudly declares that she has always depended on the kindness of luck, was devastated that her new SoHo office seemed plagued by electrical troubles: first the leaking roof in December and then a power surge that knocked out employees' computers. Faced with the prospect of a whole slew of old-world problems - 490 Broadway was built in 1857 - Corcoran turned to a new-age solution. Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art (or is it a science?) related to organisation and the power of nature, and now seriously popular in interior decorating circles, promises health and prosperity to those who design homes and work spaces according to energy channels and a balance of yin and yang. Last May, Corcoran invited Alex Stark, a graduate of Yale University's College of Architecture and "teacher on issues of transformation, creativity and healing" to redesign corcoran.com using feng shui. He focused on a combination of colours that evoke fame and power (red), and money (purple, not green), as well as an image of Corcoran in a crimson sheath. Happy with the results, she brought him back this week to diagnose her troublesome office space.

Stark toured the two floors of busy realtors, suggesting extra artwork here, bamboo there. "In an office you want high energy but in order to insure long-term prosperity, you need balance," he said. "Three-fifths yang to two-fifths yin is ideal." Even financial advisers of the spiritual kind insist on a balanced portfolio. Corcoran followed along, taking note of his suggestions and encouraging reporters (who had, conveniently, been invited to witness the session) to partake of fortune cookies ("Longevity is assured for the tenant who pays the honourable landlord on time" . . . OK, we made that one up) and green tea, in celebration of the Chinese new year. Delectables aside, Corcoran preaches what she practises: "Barbara Corcoran's 2001 In/Out list" declares that feng shui has taken the place that Color Me Beautiful once held in popular culture (though many would argue this happened years ago). In addition, she argues that Zen gardens now eclipse vegetable gardens, carrot juice with ginseng pushes out double de-caf mochaccinos, and real 2001 hipsters own 3,000sq ft lofts. As to whether Stark's advice will boost sales for Corcoran - or at very least stop the leaks - the jury is still out. But his record isn't half bad. In May 2000, when Amazon.com was trading at more than $50 a share, he had this to say about the online retailer's website: "It has too much yang . . . too many buttons. With excess yang, you get good results in the short term. "It's not surprising that Amazon is doing well now, [but] over the long term, too much yang will get you into trouble." After this week's report of staff cuts and declining sales forecasts, perhaps Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos should swallow the carrot juice and look east this year.