Feng Shui is a concept that most of us have heard of, but aren’t necessarily sure what it is nor how to achieve it. In very basic terms, Feng Shui décor is about achieving perfect harmony and balance with our surroundings. Known as ‘the art of placement’, Feng Shui focusses on the best areas to place our belongings to achieve optimum ‘Chi’, or in other words, energy.
Often this deep-rooted Chinese tradition is misunderstood for its aesthetic value in interior design. But it really isn’t about how good your home looks. Feng Shui lays its importance on how our homes, or even workplaces, benefit us. Whether physically, mentally, with our career and even with our relationships.
To whittle down how to incorporate this ancient method into your home or workplace, we have provided you with the basic feng shui décor tips for every room.
How do you Feng Shui your bedroom?
Mural in photo - Clusterful Tropical Leaves
The bedroom is such an important room. We often forget it, but we spend a lot of our lifetime in there. To be precise, around 8 hours a day! So if we're going to dedicate time and effort to creating balance and harmony in our homes, a calming bedroom should be priority number one.
Where to place your bedroom furniture
Let’s begin with the biggest and most important feature of the bedroom: the bed! Where we put it is important. Place the bed against the wall for children, but when it comes to adults, make sure there is space on either side of the bed. Even if you’re a single adult who is seeking a relationship, do the same. This avoids having to climb over each other to get into bed, and it's also good for the energy levels of the room.
Wellness Lifestyle Expert Jaya Jaya Myra tells us the importance of where your head is pointing when you are led in bed.
"Sleep with your head pointed south, as this aligns you with the electromagnetic forces of the earth. South, Southeast and East directions are all good for sleep, but you should never have your head pointed North. West is also not ideal as it can promote bad dreams."
Use bedside tables like bookends to create symmetry and balance on either end of the bed. That way, your bed becomes a little room within a room and will feel more closed-off, cosy and safe.
Bedroom colours and wall art ideas
Mural in photo: Garden Sage
Shades of green, blue or beige are perfect for the bedroom because they mirror the earth and water. These natural shades promote relaxation and give much calmer energy than other colours, such as red.
"Green, blue and beige calm our nervous system." - Milana Perepyolkina, Feng Shui Expert.
To relish the colour even more, paint your bedroom ceiling in a calming shade so that when you are led down, you feel utterly serene and ready for sleep.
When choosing wall art for your bedroom, stick to patterns or nature scenes. Feng Shui practitioner Mr Tee advises not to have animal imagery in the bedroom. Looking directly into an animal’s eyes can be intimidating and will create nervous tension.
Other bedroom furniture tips for Feng Shui
Another important Feng Shui décor tip is to avoid too many electronics in the bedroom. Ideally, use a battery-run alarm clock, turn your phone off at night and have dim lighting. This also means no television! TVs are for communal areas only, such as the living room. Milana Perepyolkina, reminds us what bedrooms are for.
Repeat after me: “My bedroom is for sleeping and making love, nothing else.”
Milana also tells us the importance of keeping the bedroom a clutter-free zone. For myself, under the bed can be a quick and easy place to store things. But this is a big no-no…
"The fewer possessions you have in your bedroom, the better. Don’t store anything under your bed; keep only one or two items on top of the nightstands."
It’s also important to balance masculine and feminine energies in the bedroom to represent both people in the relationship. This may not apply to all couples, but be mindful of your energies and try to create a balance between them. Choose a range of hard and soft furnishings to achieve a balance between male and female energies. For example, opt for very soft linen covers if you choose a metal bed frame. Or, choose gentle, floating drapes to hang over your bed. This encourages relaxation as drapes soften the eyes as you drift off to sleep.
How to Feng Shui your living room
Mural in photo: Herbal Branch Leaves
The placement of your current furniture is key. Ensure that your main pathways through the living room are clear, allowing the energy to flow more easily.
Place your sofa so that it faces a door and is pushed against the wall that is furthest away from the house's entrance.
TVs are fine to be used in the lounge as it is a communal space and it is okay to focus the room around your TV. But if you like to prioritise family time in your lounge, make sure that the TV is not central to the room. Place the TV into a unit that can be closed or in a spot that isn't too central to the room.
Types of Feng Shui décor for your living room
Avoid sharp corners with your choice of decor. Not only is this less hazardous to young children, but it also increases energy flow throughout the room. Round coffee tables are ideal.
If you own a beautiful fireplace, place a mirror above it. In Feng Shui, energy is believed to escape through the chimney. By installing a mirror, the energy will bounce back into the room and reign that Chi back in.
To decorate your mantlepiece, be symmetrical. Balancing candles or ornaments on either end is key. Your nana and her pot dogs were doing it right for years!
Living room colour ideas
Mural in photo: Summer Bouquet
If you want to mix Feng Shui colours in your living room, choose yellow and red earthy shades. Red gives off energy, which is great for this all-important sociable area, whilst the colour yellow tones down the reds so that the room is not too energised. After all, our living rooms are a communal space, but they are also the place where we sit back and relax after a long day.
How do I Feng Shui my dining room?
Mural in photo: Flower Garden Multi
The dining room is another sociable area that needs to be celebrated. It’s where we feed and give ourselves nutrition. So, making sure that it is Feng Shui is ever more important.
Just like the rest of the house, keeping rooms clutter-free is so important. Unfortunately, the dining room often gets used as the dumping ground of the house. It’s either where we keep the children’s toys or where we store bin-liner bags that need to go to the thrift shop. Instead of wasting this valuable space, keep it free from clutter and use it to its full advantage. If you tend not to use the dining room, why not make it into an office or crafts room instead?
Décor and colour ideas for your dining room
Mural in photo: Autumn Woodland
As most of us don’t use the dining room as much as the lounge or bedroom, it can sometimes appear cold and abandoned. One way to create warmth is by introducing earth elements. Crystals, wood and water/reflective elements, such as mirrors, will enliven the room and create a homelier touch.
To create an even cosier room that you will be tempted to use more often, add décor that reflects you and your sense of style. Like the living room, avoid sharp-edged furniture, add rugs for texture and comfort and avoid a glass dining table. The sound of glass hitting glass can create nervous tension, which is never good for Chi energy.
Regarding colour choice, choose natural, earthy tones, such as peaches, yellows, greens, light blues and creams. These will warm and create a comfortable, inviting space.
How Feng Shui is your kitchen?
Mural in photo: Blue Cells Medley
For many, the kitchen is seen as the heart of the home rather than the living room. It’s the place where we meet, communicate, prepare and eat our meals. The kitchen is also a Feng Shui symbol for prosperity and wealth, so creating the perfect balance of harmony is crucial.
Colour ideas for your kitchen
When considering a colour scheme for your kitchen, choose earthy pale tones that are balanced throughout the room. Pastel greys, blues, and greens all create a nurturing feel in your cooking area. Whichever colour you choose, make sure the tones are balanced and soothing to the eye.
Small kitchen decor tips
Unfortunately, the kitchen area is often the smallest room in the house, frustrating for those who enjoy cooking and baking. To increase positivity and avoid stress, make sure you have enough surface area to work on in your kitchen. If you have enough room for a small worktable in the room, invest in one. It will give you more space to prepare your meals and eliminate unnecessary anxiety.
Where to put your stove
When planning where to place your stove, have the Bagua map. Ideally, your kitchen should be placed in the fire/fame section of the map or in a non-conflicting fire area. Often, placing your oven in a south or southwest position is beneficial.
Create a calming bathroom
Photo in mural: Marble
The bathroom is such an important part of the house. We physically need it to get by day today. The kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are part of the Feng Shui trinity of rooms. With that in mind, we must create a sense of balance in this area of the home.
Where your bathroom door should be
For both Feng Shui and health purposes, try to avoid having your kitchen adjoining a bathroom. Having a shared door that flows between the eating and toilet area is not good for Chi energy.
Small bathroom issues
Many of us have to endure a small bathroom. One way to deal with this is to use tactical storage solutions. Vertical, upright storage units are great ways to store cosmetics and towels.
Having little clutter in your bathroom is calming and increases positive energy, making it easier to keep the room clean. Always be mindful and keep your bathroom or toilet area fresh and hygienic.
Feng Shui colours for your bathroom
Photo in mural: Into the Wild
Most of us will automatically think of blue when it comes to choosing a shade for our bathroom. Yet, it is bad practice to use blue in a Feng Shui bathroom. Blue holds strong water energy which is an energy that is already very strong in a bathroom. Instead, the safest shade to opt for is white which is a metal Feng Shui colour that cuts through unnecessary delays and confusion. It is also fresh and suits all skin colours, making them extremely friendly to our physiques.
You can even Feng Shui your office!
Mural in photo: Classic World Map
Applying Feng Shui décor to an office space is becoming ever more important towards our wellbeing as well as productivity. Although the following tips apply to all offices, they are also incredibly useful for home offices. Especially regarding the growing trend of people working from home.
As the main focal point of your workspace, what you put on your desk and where you place it is important. Your desk should always face the door. This will promote feelings of power and control and symbolise your openness and readiness for new opportunities.
There are many ways that you can Feng Shui your desk. First of all, make sure your desk is clutter-free. Secondly, use a Bagua map to break up your desk space with energies that will help you whilst you work. Focus in on the factors which you personally feel you want to promote on your desk. If you want to increase your wisdom, have a small selection of books that you’re trying to memorise.
Office décor and colour ideas
Mural in photo: Blue Wild Meadow
To increase wisdom and prosperity, choose tones of blue and purple for your office space. The earthy tones mixed with the water shades will promote relaxation as well as motivation.
Inspirational wall art is also a great idea for an office. Jaya Jaya Myra tells us the importance of where to place a mural in your workspace.
"Creative murals work well on a West wall and in an office. A north wall would work as well, as the North represents career."
Basic Feng Shui décor tips for all rooms
- Fill your home with light and fresh air. This combination will invigorate the senses and bring positive energy into the home.
- Have natural touches in every room, such as earthy tones or even a house plant to keep you feeling grounded and calm.
- Scatter healing crystals around your home to improve harmony and balance.
- Make the front door look inviting so that you and your guests can’t wait to walk inside of your harmonic home. Paint the door in a welcoming, soothing colour and place plants by the door.
- Keep your home clutter-free. Having fewer obstacles to walk around and having tidy surfaces will allow Chi energy to flow easily around your home.
We hope that you have benefitted from our Feng Shui decor tips for every room in the house. Please leave your comments below...
John Carston
19/12/2022I like how you mentioned that balance and harmony would be the ones to achieve when having decorations. My friend mentioned a couple of days ago that he was looking for dragon figurines and statues for designing his studio room. He asked if I had thoughts on the best option for finding great ones. I value this enlightening article. I'll tell him we can consult a trusted decorative dragon online shop as they can provide details about their items
Rachael @ Wallsauce
19/12/2022Hello John, thank you for your lovely comment and we are pleased you found our article helpful! We hope your friend finds his dragon figurines for his studio room. We also have Dragon themed wallpapers he may be interested in! You can find them here under our Sci-Fi and Fantasy section - https://www.wallsauce.com/wall-murals-wallpaper/fantasy-sci-fi-wall-murals