6 Feng Shui Principles to Live By
There’s something about the warming of temperatures that always stirs up my interest and reverence for all things Feng Shui (i.e., the spatial orientation of items in relation to the flow of energy). Lightness, space, clarity, ease of movement…très Feng Shui. Clutter, excess, the massive collection of ceramic cats taking up residence in your living room…bad Feng Shui.
With this in mind, here are some principles I live by that keep my space in flow:
1. Avoid oversized coffee tables in the living room. Before I moved into my current apartment, the previous owner had decorated her apartment quite tastefully; however, her coffee table looked like a marble slab Michelangelo was about to chip into. While it was chic and marbly and who doesn’t like a nice marble coffee table, it was decidedly out of proportion with the size of the space. When searching for a coffee table, the Goldilocks principle is key: not too big, not too small, but just right.
2. Keep the TV out of the bedroom. Might be a controversial statement here, as TV in bed *seems* like the ultimate treat. But countless scientific studies have demonstrated how bedroom TV watching can lead to a shorter, more interrupted night’s sleep. Sure, I keep a TV in the living room, but I don’t see the sense in crawling, zombie-like, from one TV room, to another. I enjoy the sparseness of my bedroom, as it signals to my brain that sleep is now in session! If you’re a restless sleeper and you’ve got a big old flatscreen in the bedroom, consider removing it.
3. Double up on your nightstands. I’ve happened upon a surprising number of homes with bedrooms that either lack nightstands entirely, or just have one the size of a postage stamp. A nightstand is there to support your lamps (if you don’t have wall sconces), books, hand creams, lip balms, alarm clocks, eye pillows…all the practical stuff. Nightstands also ground your space and make you feel more supported in your bedroom. And if you’re single hoping to get into a relationship, be sure to make room for two nightstands!
4. Nix the collection of dried flowers. There’s something about the sight of dried/dead flowers in a home that instinctively makes me shudder. No crusty bouquet of petunias for me, thank you very much. In Feng Shui, these drain a home’s vitality and exude negative energy. Pro tipsy: add 2 tablespoons of sugar and vinegar to your flower water, which acts as a preservative.
5. Keep plants around the house. Before I discovered Feng Shui, I didn’t give a toss about a house plant. Now, I think they are living forms of art! They instantly bring vitality to a space, and will reward you by lasting a long time if you care for them properly. The mere sight of one in each room makes my brain smile and keeps my cortisol levels nice and low. If you’re new to the world of house-planting, try a low-maintenance plant like the Snake Plant or Chinese Evergreen. And throw a money plant in there, for extra prosperity.
6. Give your closet some breathing room. Clearing out an overstuffed closet is one of the most life-changing, healing things you can do for yourself and your home. All through my twenties, I had closets that were packed to the brim with things I never wore. I was literally at war with the clothes in my closet, as I had to elbow them out of the way just to hang a flimsy skirt or a pair of jeans. A closet rod with breathing room makes searching for clothes more pleasant (translation: more FLOW!), and also creates space for new opportunities to come into your life. Try removing some of those “someday” clothes from your closet and see what magic it stirs up!