You’ve probably heard of feng shui but if you haven’t, in short, it’s the ancient Chinese practice that charts the balance of energy, or chi, via scientific calculations. The goal of feng shui is to invite positive chi into your home so that your life feels both energised and balanced, plus it’s a relatively simple way to improve the vibes of your space.
Now, to get fully immersed into those vibes and have a home that’s 100% feng shui-ed you’d probably have to build it from scratch again which is not practical at all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some smaller improvements.
Even if it’s to just keep things fresh and move some furniture around!
So, let’s dive in…
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Improve your entrance
In feng shui, the entrance represents the way energy enters your home and your life so do whatever you can to make this area feel inviting. For extra points, try to include a shoe rack, hooks for coats, and storage for rain gear/umbrellas. It's important that all these items have their own place to call home as they hold the energy of the outside world.
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Go high
You don’t need to add a climbing wall to your decor, but integrating some vertical shapes and lines in your home brings in growth and expansion. You can make this happen in a variety of ways: add some lighting where the light travels upward; add a tree to a corner to make the space feel taller; if you have the room, put in some tall bookshelves; if you don’t, hang your paintings or prints higher.
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Commanding positions
In feng shui, one of the most important principles is the commanding position. Essentially, this is the position of some important pieces of furniture: the bed, the desk, and the hob/oven. Though you may not be able to move your oven, it’s probably fairly easy to get your bed and desk in a better position. The main thing here is to be able to see the door when using these items. You shouldn’t be directly in line with the door but shouldn’t have your back to it either. If moving these objects is also not an option, you can try and use a mirror to reflect them.
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Declutter and remove obstacles
I giggled a bit at this one. Maybe a master of feng shui should have a chat with my toddler? But I digress.
Are the most frequent routes in your home—say, from the bedroom to the bathroom—free from tripping hazards? Is there an end table you bump into every day? Think about how you move through your space and try to make the paths as clear as possible. If this inspires a major rearrangement, you probably needed it. Efficiency is key in feng shui, so it’s important to clear obstacles from your path and make your flow as smooth as possible. Randomly scattered toys, I’m looking at you!
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Add plants
When in doubt, add more plants, right? Plants embody life energy, so they’ll add freshness and vitality to your home. Plus, they look lovely and improve any space.