Your home should be a place where you feel comfortable, safe, and calm. All of your decisions about your interior should be set up with these things in mind – even in spaces where you’re looking to be productive. There are a number ofprinciples which might inform your decisions about the interior of your property. Some of the most valuable can be derived from the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui has been around for thousands of years. The term literally translates as ‘wind-water’. According to practitioners, everything in existence is inhabited by a mystical energy force called Qi. By channelling this force in the right way, we can bring about desirable results in our lives.
In modern times, Feng Shui is especially applicable to the way we arrange our interiors. While you might not believe in the mystical principles which inform the practice, the results can still be hugely satisfying.
Using Feng Shui in your Home
Feng Shui can be used in your home in a number of different ways.
Commanding position
Perhaps the most important thing to understand is the ‘commanding position’. This is the location in the room that is furthest from the door, without being directly aligned with it. Typically, this means diagonally across from the door. This is where you’ll be spending most of your time in the room. Thus, it’s where you should be putting the most important piece of furniture – whether it’s a desk, a bed, or a sofa.
Brighten the entryway
The entryway is critical in determining how qi enters your home and your life. Making sure that it’s able to receive plenty of natural light during the daytime is essential. You can do this with the help of additional sidelights and transom windows. At night-time, you want low-key artificial lighting. Nothing that’s going to attract too much attention – but enough that you’re going to be able to see what you’re doing when you reach for your keys. A table lamp positioned in the hallway, set to a timer, can be very effective.
Remove Obstacles
Qi should be able flow through a room effortlessly – and so too should people. Think about where you’ll be walking most often, and try to reduce the number of obstacles in the way. This might mean rearranging minor items of furniture, or rethinking the entire layout of a given room (or property).
Adding House Plants
If you don’t have a well-lit room to keep your plants healthy with sunlight, or perhaps have pets that are allergic to different styles and want something a little bit more low-maintenance, artificial panels can be an excellent long-term way of breathing life into a room. Grass Warehouse offer a variety of textured floral styles and grasses that can be easily attached to any room wall for a fresh, textured finish.
House plants are proven to bolster your mood, and to calm you down whenever life is getting that little bit too stressful. Arrange them in locations where they’re most visible, but not such that they dominate your eye-line. Tables beside the sofa, or directly behind your computer monitor, often work very well.
