About Us
Helen Yi Plehn is the Founder and Chief Architect of Helen Creates Beauty. Helen grew up at the foothill of the Baiyun Mountain in Guangzhou, China. Practicing Fengshui, Chinese astrology and herbology is part of her upbringing. Her father was a traditional Chinese painter and calligrapher. Every Saturday, they climbed up the mountain and her father sketched the mountain scenery while she played in the stream of a waterfall. On Sundays, the whole family usually went to the Orchid Garden where they enjoyed the fragrant orchid tea. The Orchid was her father's favorite flower, he grew a variety at their home. Helen's father passed away in 2003, but his spirit is always with her. The orchid in the logo symbolizes Helen's continuation of her father's artistry, and the five petals of the orchid also represent the five Fengshui elements.
Helen moved to the U.S. in her early twenties to pursue design. She has a Ph.D. degree in Experience Design and a Master's degree in Interior Architecture and Design. Helen has been an experience design consultant and interior architect for both residential and commercial clients for the past 10 years. Combining her expertise in interior architecture and design, her Chinese cultural heritage and her surface pattern design skills, Helen founded Helen Creates Beauty to guide you through your Fengshui journey, helping you to design a home that is truly in harmony with you. Her beautiful patterns are designed to bring joy and serenity to all who enjoy them, incorporating the same elements with which she brings joy and serenity to her own home.
Helen lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and two children where the beautiful nature and relaxed lifestyle fuel her creativity and spirituality.
Ying Chen is the Interior Design Director, Principal of of Helen Creates Beauty. She grew up in the Xiguan region of Guangzhou, China, which is reputed for their preserved traditional architectures. Most of the Xiguan "Big Old Houses" were built during the Qing Dynasty by notable local families, wealthy businessmen, and high officials. Designed and constructed with remarkable techniques, Fengshui is a significant practice in Xiguan houses, which enjoy high artistic and architectural values. Soaked in this environment as a child, Ying often marvels at the importance of architecture and interior design in people’s lives. Ying’s father runs an architecture firm in Guangzhou, China and as such, she cannot remember when interior design was not a part of her life.
Ying obtained her undergraduate degree in Interior Design in Macau. Formerly a colony of the Portuguese Empire, Macau has become a major resort city and its gaming industry is seven times larger than that of Las Vegas. Moreover, Fengshui practices are crucial for casinos in Macau. Ying moved to the U.S. to attain her Master's degree in Interior Architecture and Design at the Academy of Art University (AAU) in San Francisco. She has worked as an interior designer for both commercial and residential projects.
Ying lives in San Francisco with her husband. She enjoys the ocean and open-minded atmosphere in Northern California.