Feng Shui: A beginner's guide

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese knowledge that originated 6,000 years ago. It explains how the placement of objects affects the energy flow in your home as well as your personal energy.

Feng shui is the idea that your surroundings affect not just your level of material comfort, but also your physical and mental health, relationships and success. It is the idea that connects everything through energy, harmonising everyone with the surrounding environment. Whether you believe in the philosophy or not, there’s no denying that updating your interior will bring you joy.

When it comes to feng shui basics, the first thing to understand is that everything is energy. You, your home and the world are all connected by energy fields. The belief is that feng shui works when you change the energy of your home, yourself and your life. However, whether or not where you put your sofa or bed can really impact on your finances, it will certainly have a positive effect on how you feel in your living room. Similarly, the colours you choose for your home can enhance the living experience of the whole family.

In feng shui, ‘the commanding position’ is used to describe where important furniture such as your bed should be placed. To do this, whilst lying in bed you want to be facing the door but not in line with the door. Place sofas and beds against solid walls to anchor them, rather than leaving them 'floating' in the middle of a room. Then avoid blocking natural pathways in the room and use mirrors to enhance the flow of natural light and energy. One of the key principles of feng shui is the idea of harmonising people and nature. Incorporate plants into your interior as well as natural textures and woody tones, which are a huge trend this year. 

Naturally neutral colours will create a calming atmosphere yet feng shui doesn’t mean avoiding bright colours. Opt for fire colours such a red, orange, yellow and pink on the southern side of rooms and watercolours like blues and greens on the northern side. Fire colours are for active spaces and water colours are for calmer spaces, so bear that in mind when choosing colour schemes and decorative objects to place in your home.

Mess is the number one enemy of feng shui sapping your home's strength and blocking positive energy from entering. Clutter control is a powerful way to begin making positive changes in your life and who knows you might find that one thing you’ve been looking for! Finally, in feng shui, the windows are the eyes of a home, and the front door is its mouth. To bring clarity to the space and your wellbeing, maintain them, making sure that they open, close, and lock well.