Easing into Feng Shui Interior Design – 7 Tips to Spark Your Interest

If you have ever made some research when attempting to design or decorate your home or business, you have most likely come across the concept of feng shui. The subject may have sparked your interest, or you may have dismissed it as unimportant – a passing trend, a whim, an imported philosophy.

In the Western world, applying the feng shui philosophy is not generally on the list of priorities when designing a residential or a commercial interior. However, feng shui deserves the respect due to an ancient philosophy, developed during a long history of human experiences, when people observed the environment and its effect on their own well-being. Far from a passing trend, feng shui has influenced the building of ancient cities – and lent some of its principles to modern interior design, even though many people may not be aware of it.

Some feng shui principles appear as simply common sense, yet have a more intricate explanation behind them. To give you a taste of how this philosophy is applied in interior design, here are a few tips to whet your feng shui appetite and motivate you to delve deeper. In the next few weeks, we will go into more details about some more complex feng shui concepts and show you how to use them in your designs.

Cross ventilation. The position of the windows in your house may or may not allow good air circulation. In China, the winds blow mostly from north to south, so having windows placed on these two sides ensures good ventilation.

Morning cheer. If you want to start the day on a happy note, you should have your entrance door facing south or east. Morning light comes from the east, and being bathed in a flood of light when you step out of the house is the surest way to get yourself in a good mood.

Fire vs. water. A kitchen door should never face a bathroom door. Your kitchen is the place where you are hard at work on your appetite, and sounds or smells coming from the bathroom should not travel through to the kitchen.

Safety at night. In a bedroom, the head of the bed should always have a wall behind. This gives you a feeling of safety, since you are most able to monitor your environment from this position. Also, you should never place a bed under exposed beans, since an earthquake or fire can turn them into a major risk factor.

Healthy visual balance. Speaking about exposed beams, their menacing energy is best counteracted by upward facing light fixtures.

Being in control. It is not good feng shui practice if the position of your desk in your office forces you to sit with the back towards your door. By contrast, being able to see who enters the room means that you are in full control of your environment and reduces your stress level. If changing the position of your desk is not possible, use a mirror that gives you a good view of the door. Also, avoid placing the desk against a wall. This will stump and limit your creativity.

Fixing your house and your life. Do not keep broken things lying around. Broken objects, furniture or appliances bring a negative vibe into your space. Fixing them creates a fresh, positive energy that may motivate you to fix other (more important) things in your life.

While you may often hear about the five vital elements in feng shui (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), these are just the inner workings, the foundation on which the feng shui understanding of universal energy lies and from which feng shui interior design techniques develop. Even from the small list of tips above, you may notice that, when applied to interior design, the philosophy is centered around three concepts:

• Safety
• Health
• Balance

Each feng shui tip has to do with one or more of these concepts and attempts to mediate potential problems in these areas. By doing this, it creates a good flow of energy through your home, office or business, which is essential to your well-being.

Please take a look at our Before and After images of selected projects from 2018 HERE.

If you are thinking to open up a new business or in a process of rebranding and remodeling your existing business, contact us to get a free consultation from Mindful Design Consulting. Click HERE to price your project design.

Also, take a look at “Branding By Interior” e-book, the only book written on this subject at this time. It brings insight on how you can turn your business into a market-dominating competitor by using human cognitive responses.