Inspiration

How to make feng shui-friendly changes to your home

Article by Homes to Love

Find out how the art of feng shui can change the energy flow in your home

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Do you feel tired and lack energy on a regular basis? Your home’s feng shui (or lack thereof) could be to blame.

Feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of balancing the flow of energy in spaces like the home, to encourage a positive environment and lifestyle. To make a few feng shui-friendly changes in your house, consider the following elements.

Get the light right

Lighting is very important in feng shui as it is one of the strongest manifestations of energy. Natural light promotes a positive flow, so keep curtains and blinds open throughout the day and use lamps to fill dark spaces. Candles are great for creating a calm and sensual energy in the bedroom. Good quality air is also important, so open windows to allow fresh air to flow throughout the house.

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Bring the outdoors in with natural light and fresh air.

Space

The kitchen is the centre of good feng shui. It’s vital to create balance here because all five elements of feng shui are present in the one room – fire (oven), water (sink), metal (appliances), wood (cabinetry) and earth (food). Ideally, stoves should not be backed against the wall; install yours on an island instead. Use each burner on your stove top evenly and avoid having your sink and stove directly across from one another as water and fire elements repel each other.

The main entrance to your home is the entry point for all energy, so you want it to be welcoming to encourage a positive flow to other parts of the house. At the front door, create an inviting area with a side table and lamp, a vase full of flowers or even a vibrant rug.

When arranging your living room furniture, try to create a warm and inviting environment for conversation by placing your couch and tables in a circle. Add mirrors and plants to help the energy bounce around all corners of the room. Avoid sharp edges, which promote a negative energy.

In the bedroom you want to feel relaxed. Do this by keeping clutter to a bare minimum and above all, no TV’s.

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Bedrooms should be relaxed, TV-free zones with minimum clutter.

Colour

Certain colours will enhance the feng shui of your home: red promotes prosperity and balance while green encourages wealth. Consider painting your front door in either of these colours. Yellow is perfect for the kitchen as it encourages a high energy flow at the heart of your home.

Function

Make sure everything in your home is running properly and efficiently. Fix anything that is broken and throw out anything beyond repair. Drains are thought to be where negative energy leaves the home, so you’ll want to ensure yours are unclogged at all times. Remove any unnecessary clutter – have only what you need and want; don’t hoard old treasures that don’t add value to your life or no longer hold any significance to you.

Placement 

Where furniture is placed in the home is vital for ensuring a good energy flow. So here are two pro tips to help you figure out where to place everything:

  1. Your desk should face the door in your office
  2. In the bedroom there should be room to walk around either side of your bed and bedside tables should be placed on either side
  3. Mirrors should not face your bed or the main door

Good luck charms 

Fish are considered a symbol of prosperity, so welcome a goldfish into your home (preferably in your living room rather than bedroom or bathroom). Houseplants will also promote good energy, but only if they’re healthy!

Do you believe in feng shui? Does your home comply with these feng shui elements?

Photography by: Scott Hawkins, Armelle Habib, Maree Homer/bauersyndication.com.au

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