The desk, cooker and bed are the most important pieces of furniture to get right (Picture: Getty Images)
Considering that many of us now spend the majority of our time in our homes, it’s important that our living spaces make us feel good.
How our homes make us feel is ultimately tied up with how they look – but making sure the energy is right is about more than just aesthetics.
Enter: feng shui.
Feng shui is a traditional Chinese practice with roots in Taoism.
As Janine Lowe, a feng shui consultant, explains, feng shui involves the practice of arranging buildings, objects and space to promote harmony and ‘positive flowing energy’ through our homes.
‘When feng shui is used properly it allows the people living in the home to have a harmonious, healthy, successful, and wealthy life,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.
But, if you’re holed up in a small flat with a lack of storage space, it can feel difficult to create a space that feels comfortable, let alone positive.
But feng shui isn’t bound by the size of your space. As Janine explains, it’s all about the placement of your furniture and other objects.
‘There are three important bits of furniture to place in your home to enhance your own personal chi (or energy),’ she explains: the bed, the cooker and the desk.
It’s also important to focus on the entrance to your home, where energy will flow in and out of your space.
Where to place your bed for the best feng shui
‘The placement of your bed, including which way your head faces, will give you positive energy from a good night’s sleep,’ says Janine.
You should always place your bed in the ‘commanding position’ of the room – that means being both diagonal, and as far away as possible, from the door.
‘Your bedroom door should not directly open on to your bed but be slightly off-line,’ says Janine.
‘If your feet are facing the bedroom door this is called the coffin position (aka, the worst possible position)’. The same goes for sleeping with your head pointing north.
Janine adds that people who sleep with their head pointing south may struggle to sleep, while couples should sleep with their head pointing east – as this position is all about romance.
Your bed should not be placed directly in front of the door (Picture: Getty Images/Image Source)
Where to place your cooker for the best feng shui
According to Janine, the cooker should be placed in the south of the flat, if possible. If not, southeast or east is best.
‘The kitchen is the health area of the house, so ensure you keep it clean and decluttered,’ she says.
This is because these areas relate to the wood and fire elements. Make sure your stove isn’t facing a door or window, to avoid elemental clashes.
Your cooker should be facing away from any windows and doors (Picure: Getty Images)
Where to place your desk for the best feng shui
Now more of us than ever are working from home, it’s vital that we get the placement of our desks right.
‘Place your desk in the northwest of your home in the commanding position of the room,’ says Janine. Again, this means away from, and diagonal to, the door.
‘If you can’t have your desk actually in the northwest of your house because it’s a bathroom or bedroom, choose a suitable room and place the desk there,’ she continues.
As for where your desk should be facing, Janine says it should be placed in front of two walls and facing the door.
This will allow you to see who’s coming in and out of the room, and also will give you ‘the power position’ as well as ‘bringing in the wealth star and ensuring you have helpful people in your life to enhance your career,’ explains Janine.
She continues: ‘The best shape for a desk is the kidney shape, but standing desks and L-shaped desks are also acceptable.
‘The best material for a desk is wood or glass. Metal is okay but be sure to avoid plastic.’
Having your desk facing the door puts you in the power position (Picture: Getty Images)
How to create feng shui in your hallway
One big tip, says Janine, is to make sure the entrance to your home is free from clutter and that there’s nothing getting in the way of your door opening easily.
‘Avoid shoe and coat racks,’ she says.
‘If possible, keep them in a cupboard away from the door, perhaps under the stairs.’
It’s also a good idea to place a mirror to the side of your door, ‘to help the positive energy move around the house when you open it.’
This is especially useful if you have a small hallway.
‘Do not have a mirror facing the front door because it could reflect negative energy coming from outside the door,’ Janine adds.
So, there you have it.
Get your rearranging hat on and see if these changes help to bring more positive energy into your day to day life.
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It’s less about space and more about placement.
