5 min readA home that’s light, bright, and spacious has a way of feeling welcoming to everyone who steps through your front door—especially you! As you can imagine, many factors create that “openness” feeling, such as large windows, a spacious floor plan, and minimalist architecture. The only problem? You can’t actually do anything about these structural design elements unless you call in a contractor. That’s where giving your home a quick zhuzh comes in handy: moving furniture around, organizing clutter, and even lighting a cozy candle are all ways to give your living area an energy reset, and many of these practices are rooted in feng shui.
Interior designers are big on incorporating feng shui principles to create a comfortable yet livable environment in a client’s home. The ancient Chinese philosophy is all about cultivating balance in a space, which is believed to welcome good energy and a peaceful ambiance. It’s no wonder these principles made their way to the design world with experts encouraging strategic furniture placements, continuous organization, and soothing paint color palettes. After all, a chaotic entryway or living room is a surefire way to make you want to leave in search of something more, well, peaceful.
As we tiptoe into summer, now’s a great time to refresh your home for the season and make it the most harmonious it can be. We chatted with Marie Diamond, a feng shui organizing expert who shared the benefits of feng shui with us.
“According to the ancient Chinese energy system of feng shui, your home has its own energy flow,” she told House Beautiful. This flow is most commonly known as “chi.” She explained that feng shui “turns your home into a 3D vision board,” which sounds compelling on its own, but even more so from a design standpoint. To make sure your home is giving off all the good vibes, Diamond shared her tips on crafting a home you’ll actually want to live in.
Start With Organizing
There’s nothing worse than leaving your hectic job and navigating rush hour traffic only to walk through your front door to another chaotic, messy environment. It’s why Diamond says the most overlooked yet powerful spot is the entrance, and why keeping it spick-and-span is a necessity. “It sets the tone for your whole home,” she said. “You want this space to be as bright as possible to welcome in all the positive energy!”
Make sure your front door is clean, take full advantage of the enclosed storage space, and devise an open floor plan as best as possible. You don’t want to introduce obtuse furniture that you’ll have to walk around, which disrupts the flow of your space and looks somewhat awkward, especially in tight areas. And as for the center of the room—you’ll want to keep that clutter-free, too, since it’s the “area that represents peace, harmony, and good health for everyone living there,” per Diamond.
The “Five Bag” Method
Marie Kondo knew what she was talking about when she posed a simple question about our belongings: Does it spark joy? Per the KonMari Method, if an item didn’t, Kondo challenged us to get rid of it. This method sounds kind of harsh (we love our tchotchkes), but Diamond seems to agree to an energy reset.
There’s a decluttering method in feng shui called space clearing, which focuses on mindfully sorting through your belongings before separating them into piles—to keep, donate, repair, toss, or return (if borrowed). This is what Diamond calls the “Five Bag” method.
“When you hold onto items that no longer serve you, anything from barely-worn clothes and broken objects to old love letters, you’re inadvertently keeping the past alive and limiting the future,” she said.
Sounds like a tall order. However, to prevent feeling overwhelmed, our expert says sorting through one room at a time helps. Put all five sorting bags in the middle of the room for easy access and ask yourself, “Will I use this in the next year?” Really think about it, and if your answer is “no,” you know what to do.
Create Some Separation
This sounds a little unorthodox when an open floor plan is known for making a room feel more spacious, but if you work remotely, you know how important this separation can be. Even the idea of seeing your work laptop from the bed can incite major Sunday scaries, even if it’s your typical Tuesday. Similar to prioritizing your work/life balance, you also want to do so with the balance in your home.
“The merging of ‘sleep energy’ with ‘work energy’ can cause energetic disharmony,” Diamond shared. “When it comes to resetting the energy of your home, start thinking about blocking off these different areas of the room.” This way, you will “preserve the energy” of each space, so you can sleep peacefully in your bedroom and wind down in your living room.
Yes, it’s kind of like that old saying of being out of sight, out of mind. And while you might want to chuck your work laptop out the window, a better option might be to put office essentials in an enclosed box once you’re done with tasks. Diamond also suggests sectioning up the room via divider walls or fold-out screens to give you some peace after your 9-to-5. And to clear the air? A calming lavender candle or mint essential oils can work wonders.
Five Elements of Feng Shui
Now that you’ve cleared out the old, it’s time to bring in the “new.” Well, sort of. Feng shui principles lean on five elements that are said to create the harmony you’re dreaming of. The five elements include water, wood, fire, earth, and metal, which can be displayed physically; however, they also take on an emotional aspect. The main goal here is to make sure all elements are represented in a space to “promote a sense of togetherness” with family, friends, and loved ones.
Each element is symbolic; for example, wood represents creativity and growth, while water can represent renewal. And while you could technically have a pile of logs in your living room’s fireplace, fresh flowers work just fine as your wooden element. “Having each one represented and displayed in your home is a powerful activation to ensuring balance and harmony,” Diamond said.
Final Touches
Beyond the five elements, personalizing your home is half the fun. Breathe some new life into your walls with passionate, bold colors or calming earth hues. Display a family photo that’s sentimental to you, and also promotes unity bonds. Light a candle (hi, fire element!) with a calming scent to wind down after a long day, like vanilla. Bring nature inside via a round, leafy plant, like a fiddle leaf fig.
You can even decorate with lighting, which not only adds brightness to a space but also makes the area more homey. And if you want to align with the Chinese philosophy, make sure you’re rearranging your furniture in a way that feels minimalistic, keeping the center of the room mess-free for optimal energy flow. Less really does mean more!
