Remove obstacles from power zones
There are some notable spaces in your home that demand a little extra planning and attention. Feng shui enthusiasts know the importance of making the most of these so-called power zones and will often take great care to clear obstacles from their path and make their flow as easy as possible. One such space is the hallway – the pathway between rooms in your home.
Balance the five elements
Feng shui is often used as a design guide for rooms. Rooms should be designed with the elements in mind, using a mixture of furniture that both represents and contains the elements: wood, metal, earth, water, and fire.
Get rid of what you don’t need
Everything has its place and its purpose. In order to reach one’s full potential, it is important to make room for new opportunities. By removing unnecessary items from your surroundings, you will demonstrate respect for the place in which you live. Things you no longer need should be thanked for their service and then discarded.
Avoid mirrors opposite your bed
According to feng shui, mirrors in bedrooms are bad because they mess with your chi. The idea is that if you sleep with a mirror opposite your bed or anywhere it’ll reflect your body, it will keep you awake at night.
Move your bed
A bed has an important role in feng shui – it is supposed to help you get a good rest and a healthy life. That’s why it should never be placed opposite the door or in front of a window. However, you should still have a clear view of the entrance. If you can’t see the door, add a mirror.
Add some plants
Flowers are said to be the ultimate bringers of energy and life into a space. Because of their natural beauty, they should be used often in your home decor. But not all flowers are created equal. Knowing which ones to use is vital to keep your good feng shui going strong. If the plant requires a lot of water, this is a good sign.
Display oranges
If you follow feng shui, you may know that oranges are a good luck symbol. They’re often found in the wealth corner of a room to attract money and fortune. A bowl of oranges can be placed in your living room as part of the living space to bring peace, wealth, and luck into your home and life.
Declutter your front door
According to feng shui, keeping the front door area clear of clutter allows your home to be filled with positive energy. Feng shui advocates a simple principle: clutter can turn into negative energy that can have an impact on your physical and mental well-being, so make sure you arrange things in such a way as to let positive energy flow freely through your home.
Keep your bathroom door closed to ensure wealth
Water, wealth, and money are all interrelated in feng shui. Water is a symbol of wealth, so you want to make sure it’s not leaving your home when it’s not supposed to. That means keeping the door closed when you’re not using the bathroom.
Increase positive energy with a clean space
With regards to cleaning, feng shui advocates cleaning your home often and thoroughly so that you can absorb as much positive energy as possible. This means regularly sweeping out the floor, dusting off the figurines and shelves, mopping up the floors, and keeping your windows and mirrors free of dust. This is because negative energy is more easily absorbed by objects that are dirty.
Add a water feature for good fortune
Since water is considered a material representation of wealth in feng shui, having water present is a great way to invite good fortune into your life. It’s also said that the sound of moving water can bring restful sleep and reduce stress. Placing an aquarium or fountain near the main entrance will help bring positive energy into your life so that you can enjoy good fortune and prosperity.
Don’t block any doors
The most important thing in feng shui for a living room is to ensure that furniture is proportionate to the space. If the room is too small for a full-sized sofa or chair, you should consider getting one that is smaller or won’t block any doors when someone approaches from the other side. Positioning a sofa against a wall can also provide support during conversation or reading.
Clean your windows regularly
It’s easy to forget that the windows in our homes are actually a part of our living space, but they deserve a chance to shine just like the rest of our furniture. In Feng Shui, they’re seen as the eyes of the home, so clean windows help you see the world clearer.
Sit with your back to the wall
Where you sit can affect your energy and even the energy of those around you. For example, if you sit with your back to a wall, you’ll feel more protected and less vulnerable. If you’re facing the entrance doors to the room, this is called sitting in the power position – you’ll command attention and be able to keep an eye on things happening around you.
Discard any faulty items
Feng shui isn’t just about what kind of paint color you choose for the walls or where you put your coffee table. It’s also about removing any negative energy in your home. That means getting rid of anything broken or damaged – not only are they eyesores, but they can harbor bad vibes and weaken the energy in your home. If something is beyond repair, consider replacing it.
Display plants with rounded leaves
The Chinese believe the shape of a houseplant’s leaves can bring you good luck or bad luck, and it’s all dependent on your choices. Rounded leaves are more favourable than pointed leaves because spikes represent ‘sha qi’ (unhelpful energy) in your home, especially if the leaves are pointing at you.
Use a variety of shapes
Most feng shui experts agree that it’s more about creating balance and harmony in a space than being overly strict about specific items. To create balance, you don’t have to stick with rounded edges only; just make sure the furniture is proportionate to the size of the room and in scale with each other.
Keep your counters clear
It’s crucial to consider how often you use the appliances that you have in your kitchen. If it’s rare, then that appliance is probably taking up a lot of valuable space. Why not create more room by storing those objects in your pantry or somewhere else? That way, you can give more movement and energy to your kitchen!
Store electronics in a different room at night
Putting a laptop or cellphone on your nightstand can affect your sleep patterns because it tricks your mind into believing you’re working instead of sleeping. This may cause you to be more tired during the day since it can keep you up later at night. To combat this, try stashing electronic devices in another room while you sleep.
Keep the toilet lid closed
One of the more interesting aspects of feng shui is the idea that a structure should be built so as to allow water to flow freely through it, taking all negative energy with it. In the bathroom, one major source of blocked water flow is your toilet. When you close the lid, it creates an energy barrier. This can be prevented by leaving your toilet lid open.
Add in comfort items
When it comes to achieving good feng shui, there are a few key elements that you should take into consideration. The first thing that you want to do is make your home warm and inviting. This can be done by adding soft textures like rugs or throws. These things will warm up the space and give it a more comfortable feel that is cozy and welcoming.
Display personal photos
In your home, feng shui is the practice of positioning furniture and decorations in a way that guides positive energy. It is also about personalizing your space so that it reflects your personality. Your home has to reflect who you are and what makes you happy, so make sure to display personal photos and memorabilia.
Open your windows
When you are trying to achieve balance in your life, whether it be through the principles of feng shui or not, fresh air is a must to fill your home with an abundance of positive energy. While there are many ways to accomplish this, such as by turning on a fan or aircon, the easiest and most convenient way is by opening a window.
Paint your walls with earthy colors
Color is going to be a key factor in determining whether your living room feels grounded or energized. If you want to create a space where people feel happy and at peace, choose warmer colors like yellows and browns. If you want to create a space that brings out the best in your guests and gives them energy, use vibrant blues, greens, and purples.
Invest in a bigger bed
One thing to keep in mind when setting up your bedroom: size matters. A king bed or larger allows chi to flow freely throughout the room without getting stuck along the edges or corners where it could become stagnant and recirculate over and over again. If a king bed is too large for your space, a queen bed could work just as effectively.
Keep family photos out of the bedroom
When it comes to your bedroom, the last thing you want to do is surround yourself with family photos. It doesn’t exactly get you in the mood for…y’know. But this doesn’t mean you can’t bring a little bit of the outside in. The best way to create a space that’s about you and your partner is to choose decor that is all about passion: abstract art that you both love.
Invite in stability by using rugs
Rugs are great ways to bring a sense of grounding and comfort to any room, but they’re especially great in bedrooms. In feng shui, rugs are used to highlight the element of “earth” and bring stability into a space; because bedrooms are often thought of as “unstable” spaces, they’re ideal for rugs.
Use your bedroom only for sleeping
Your goal should be a bedroom that is free of distractions so that you can drift off quickly and easily. But we all know that isn’t always the case – even if you do have an ideal setup, you might find your bedroom also serving as an office or home gym. But those secondary uses shouldn’t take over too much real estate in this most sacred room in your home.
Try to always enter through your front door
When you enter your home through the garage or the backdoor, you may be unknowingly limiting the flow of good energy in your life. The front door is traditionally seen as the key to welcoming good fortune and opportunities into one’s life. By entering through another door, you might be blocking this energy from entering.
Choose floor-to-ceiling cabinets
Every feng shui master knows that the ceiling above your kitchen cabinets is a major source of energy drain. The top of cabinets is always left unfinished so it’s prone to attracting dust and dirt. And because it’s rarely used in day-to-day life, this space attracts stagnant energies that can affect the rest of your home.
Keep knives out of sight
In feng shui, knives are considered to have a disruptive energy that prevents the flow of chi. The best way to minimize this effect is to keep your knives in a drawer – or better yet, a knife block – at all times.
Focus on symmetry
The perfect bedroom has a feeling of balance and symmetry. To achieve this, place one bedside table on either side of your bed. This immediately creates a feeling of balance when you enter the room. Arrange plants on these tables, such as bamboo or money plants, to optimise the Chi in your bedroom.
Keep cupboards and closets closed
Any of us who have tried to go to bed as soon as we get home know that it’s a good idea to close the doors to your wardrobe, but why? It’s all about feng shui, which is based on energy flow and how it affects your home. If you don’t close the doors to your wardrobe, they can block energy flow and disrupt your sleep.
Keep books out of the bedroom
A good night’s sleep is all anyone could ever want out of a cozy bedroom, but that can be hard to achieve when you’re surrounded by the books lining your bookshelf, which can make it much harder to relax. Consider setting up a small nook elsewhere in your house for your reading material, or at least keep them out of sight.
Use essential oils
In feng shui, a home is considered a reflection of the owner’s energy and health. A space that is cluttered and full of negative energy can lead to health problems and unhappiness. Introducing essential oils into your space can help clear negative energy and add happy vibes to your home.
Utilize your stairways
Stairways are wonderful opportunities for creative use. They’re often underutilized by people who don’t fully appreciate the opportunities they have in front of them. The right arrangement of a stairway can be a convenient reading nook, playhouse, hideaway, toy room, and even wine cellar!
Don’t store belongings under your bed
While it might not be your first thought when you think of the bedroom, the space under the bed can actually be one of the most important areas in any room. For example, you’ll want to make sure that there is nothing under your bed so it can keep negative energy away from where you sleep and create a more positive energy flow around that area.
Maximise natural light
Light can make a room look bigger and brighter, but natural light can also lift our mood and help us sleep better. If you’re looking for ways to bring more light into your space, try swapping out heavy drapes for sheer curtains or clear glass panes. Mirrors are also a great way to reflect natural sunlight into a dark room.
Arrange your kitchen with elemental design
In feng shui, fire represents passion and energy; water represents love and relationships. When your stove (fire) is across from your sink (water), it means that the energy of love and relationship is directly conflicting with the energy of passion and energy. This conflict of energies can be resolved by having a wall or countertop separating the two areas.
Keep your entrances clean
You may be surprised to see how dirty your entryway is. The feng shui experts recommend sweeping the floor of your main entrance and raking the leaves outside the front door regularly. If you have an open-air entryway, make sure to sweep and clean it at least once a week. Outside the entrance, place a welcome mat that matches the interior décor of your home.
