When it comes to designing our bedrooms, we often focus on creating a layout that will make the best use of the space (whatever the tiny rented size) without compromising on aesthetic. Basically, when our friends come around, are they going to be impressed by the vibe of the room and how much storage can we make room for, to deal with our ever-growing book pile? However, one thing that often gets forgotten about when it comes to bedroom design is feng shui.
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese philosophy of arranging buildings, furniture, and spaces in a particular way in order to create a more harmonious and balanced environment. And it turns out that by not focusing on the harmonious layout of our bedrooms, we could be missing out on restful sleep, a comfy space to relax in, and a peaceful environment. So we need to fix that ASAP.
READ: Here's How You Can Create Positive Energy In Any Room
We spoke to TikTok feng shui expert and author of Feng Shui Modern, Cliff Tan for his advice on creating a room aligned with the principles of feng shui.
What is feng shui?
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy based on the principle that by arranging buildings, spaces, furniture, and objects in a specific way, you will bring an environment of harmony and balance.
Simply put according to Cliff, "Feng shui sounds ancient and mystical, but it is really the art of creating the best possible environment for a person for their specific needs."
Why is feng shui in the bedroom so important?
While all rooms in your home could benefit from doing feng shui, arguably the most important room to achieve this in is the bedroom as it's the room you rest and recuperate in.
"Feng shui aims to make a room as conducive as possible for just that, and if done well, feng shui can turn a bedroom into a refuge that allows one to get perfect rest," Cliff says.
Cliff suggests you need to take a two-pronged approach so that your room leaves you feeling protected and calm at the same time. This is because when you're sleeping "you can feel vulnerable, so we take all steps necessary to ensure that you are well protected and safe." And then when you're trying to rest you want to remove "all opposing energies to keep the space calm and relaxing."
READ: Quick Question: How Do I Make My Bedroom Look Expensive On A Small Budget
How to feng shui your bedroom
Position your bed far away from the door
If you've heard about feng shui before, chances are you've heard of the "command position," which essentially suggests the best feng shui practice is to be able to see the door from your bed but not be directly facing it.
Cliff mainly agrees with this and suggests you should position your bed "far from the door as that is the greatest source of energy and movement," and this will make you feel safer whilst sleeping.
He adds: "You want to be able to see the door from your bed so you can subconsciously be on guard, so avoid having the bed on the same wall as the door." Noted.
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Mirrors should not be in your bedroom
We know, we were shocked, too. How are we supposed to check our outfits before heading out? Well, Cliff says if you want to achieve optimum feng shui, then ideally mirrors shouldn't be anywhere near your bedroom.
This is because mirrors "carry a lot of energy as they reflect their surroundings" and so "to make you feel calm while sleeping you want to minimize any sources of energy and movement".
Ideally, if you can (space dependent) make sure your mirror is not visible from your bed and most importantly you don't want to be able to see your own reflection whilst in your bed. Well, we definitely don't want to see ourselves first thing in the morning, so that's good with us.
Size matters
As Goldilocks, and now Cliff would say, you don't want a room that's too big or too small, as these both have negative impacts on feng shui.
An extra large room will make you feel "insecure and exposed", whereas a small room "feels claustrophobic and suffocating."
Obviously you can't always control the size of your room, so if you've got a bigger room (lucky you) then focus on trying to make the space as cosy as possible, or if your space is on the smaller side then try to make it feel more spacious.
Don't have a full on work station in your bedroom
Now that many of us work from home a few days a week, it's important to note you should try and avoid setting up your work station in your bedroom.
Large electronics and full on desktop systems are very bad feng shui vibes as they carry a lot of energy, with your bedroom you want to be reducing having items that bring in a lot of energy.
Declutter
Cliff is not of the mind set to completely remove all your possessions and states the importance of our possessions, "everything has a reason to be there. The things we own, we have for a reason."
However, he says things become clutter when they no longer belong and become "homeless", which is not good for feng shui as they don't match the energy of the space.
So it's important to note the difference between having things that have a place in your room, and objects that no longer serve a purpose or have a place to stay.
READ: The Checklist You Need When You *Finally* Decide To Organize And Tidy Up Your Things
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No TVs
Similarly to the computers above, TVs are another no no in achieving optimum feng shui as they are sources of energy and even when switched off they act as m
irrors, constantly radiating energy into the room.And definitely no plants
You'd think plants would be a great thing to have in your room, full of positive vibes, bringing the outside in, but Cliff could not disagree more.
He reminds us plants are "living creatures" and so unless "you regard them as a friend close enough to share a bed with, they are best outside."
Ok, we definitely don't want to be cozying up with a fiddle-leaf fig.
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
