How to create a feng shui living room

Balanced spaces: How to create a feng shui living room

The ancient Chinese art of feng shui is all about flow, energy and balance. Achieved correctly, it promises health and happiness in your life, as well as a home that makes sense and feels good to live in.

The practice itself is based on specific details of your space and centuries of wisdom. But you can incorporate this complex set of beliefs into your life and home by picking out a few key concepts. Here is our (much simplified) guide to the basic principles, to help you create some living room feng shui.

What is feng shui?

Feng shui is about the land and its powerful natural forces. Harness these correctly by creating a space in which they can flow and you can find the secret to harmonious relationships, positive energy and even a healthy bank balance.

Simplified, feng shui is about how and where objects are placed in a room, what colours to use, and incorporating good fortune symbols. Feng shui living room decorating is partly about how and where you arrange your furniture, but also the colours, lighting and use of plants.

How to incorporate feng shui into your living room

Think about the purpose of your space

Living rooms have lots of different functions. Sometimes they are playrooms, sometimes they are snugs, and sometimes they share a space with the kitchen as part of an open-plan living area. Think about what you want from your space and plan your design around that.

Regular-shaped rooms are considered auspicious in feng shui – think square or rectangular. If you have any awkward spaces like alcoves, you could fill them with fitted cupboards to create a cleaner shape (and have somewhere to store your clutter). Cupboards with doors rather than open shelving also help create smooth lines and energy paths.

Let your sofa take command

According to feng shui principles, the way living room furniture is arranged can affect the social life of the household. Your sofa is likely to be the most dominant piece of furniture in the room and should ideally be placed against a wall as it is considered protective. Sofas with high backs and armrests are also considered effective in the same way.

Ideally, none of your furniture should have its back to the door and the entranceway should be kept clear to encourage good energy flow. Of course, in most modern homes there isn’t necessarily room to have clear spaces, but just try not to cram in anything unnecessary.

Create a sense of flow 

Creating a space where energy can flow is key when it comes to feng shui. So how do you manage that? Firstly, keep your doorway clear and soften any corners or gaps in the room with plants. Large monsteras and Chinese money plants work well as they can be quite architectural in size and shape.

It’s also important your room is clutter-free. Keeping hidden the technology cables, children’s toys, piles of paperwork or any other clutter is a tricky task, so you could invest in some fitted cupboards to give you the space to organise your belongings and keep them out of sight.

Our Linje range is perfect as it’s all about clean lines and subtle textures. Go for a wood option to bring natural materials into the room or select the cool blue of Fjord as a nod to water – another element important in feng shui.

Any items and ornaments that are on show could also be used to harness some positive energy. Images of joy or movement bring good vibes into any space, so bear that in mind when you’re choosing photos for frames. Pick photos of you dancing or laughing to evoke happy memories. Auspicious feng shui symbols include elephants (for wisdom) and fish, which symbolise success.

Think about balance 

Light is an important element in feng shui, and both natural light and lamps can be used to create the right effects. Crystals are traditionally used as they are considered a gift from the Earth. Hang some near a window to reflect and refract the light, creating movement in your room as the light changes.

You could also incorporate a chandelier-style light fitting to achieve the same effect during the evening. Lamps at strategic points around the space can be used to soften corners and increase energy flows. Go for lamps that are curved and rounded in shape, as corners are considered inauspicious.

Hammonds can help with your balanced living room  

For help creating a balanced feng shui living room complete with storage to improve your energy flow, book a design visit with one of our experts.