How to Add Comfort to Your Home by Following the Principles of Feng Shui

Everyone longs for a harmonious home where one can feel calm, comfortable, and safe. The ancient teachings of Feng Shui are devoted to filling a home with positive energy with the help of the right colors, lighting, and furnishings. You’ll find inspiration in the principles of Feng Shui to help you leave the stress of your hectic life behind at the door and bring balanced energy into your home.

The Three-Thousand-Year-Old Teachings of Feng Shui

Feng Shui is based on China’s Taoist philosophy. It originated more than three thousand years ago in ancient China and is steadily gaining respect around the world. By following the principles of Feng Shui, we can live consciously in a happy, successful, healthy space. This ancient style of life need not be limited to the home; it works just as well in an office, a garden, or any other living space. Feng Shui works with zones that are influenced by outside forces. If the force in a zone is positive, following these teachings will support that energy. But if your space is subject to negative influences, you will find ways to neutralize them and bring them into harmony with each other.

The Basic Concepts of Feng Shui

This ancient Chinese art operates on several levels to fundamentally influence our perceptions of the space around us. These include the age of the house, the green space around it, and many other things. There are many different levels with which one can work when one understands the principles of Feng Shui.

The Five Elements

Five elements are the pillars of Feng Shui, which make it possible for us to live a life of harmony and interconnectedness. These are wood, fire, water, metal, and earth. Feng Shui distinguishes two basic cycles through which the elements pass. The first of these is the productive cycle, which signifies successive connections in which water nourishes earth, earth nourishes wood, and so on. The second cycle is the so-called controlling cycle, the purpose of which is keeping the elements in balance. 

• Wood can also be rattan, paper, and other products that in themselves are a part of nature (like branches or tree bark). Its colors are green and brown.
• Fire need not burn only in a fireplace. Light a candle or turn on tiny electric lights. Fire and flame flicker in shades of red. 
• Water takes many shapes and is not always present in its liquid form. You can find this element in blue or black colors. It can also be represented by light, flowing materials (a billowing curtain, for example). 
• Metal can be found in smooth, shiny elements and white or grey colors.
• Earth is a rich element that envelops objects in yellow or beige. It comes in materials like ceramics, tiles, and crystals. It can be brought into an interior in decorations made from minerals or stone, and even a salt lamp, which adds the element of fire.

The Constellation of the Little Dipper

Feng Shui analysis is guided by the stars of the Little Dipper constellation and takes into account the position of the house in relation to its surroundings. Whether the energy that flows into your house is positive or negative depends heavily on the position of the stars. All the aspects of Feng Shui are closely interconnected, and so the Little Dipper is itself controlled by the five elements mentioned above.   

Yin and Yang

The Yin-Yang symbol is very well known, but few people are aware of what it means. It consists of two opposite poles, which attract each other and by joining together create a balance of energies. Yin and Yang are represented by opposing circles, which imply that neither one could exist without the other. The symbol represents not only the balance of opposites in nature (like night and day, heat and cold) but also in the human environment (man and woman, joy and sorrow).

Countertop in Noble Ivory White: kitchen by Stuudio88, design by Ljudmila Funika-Müür, photograph by Kirill Masing

Feng Shui in the Home

The energy in a home is determined by its position with respect to the cardinal points, the way its rooms are used, and the amount of light it receives, among other things. These days it is nearly impossible to put all of the art of Feng Shui into practice. However, given its ancient origins, we can find inspiration in it and take away what we need. 

The Entryway into the House

Feng Shui influences your entry into a house even before you open its front door. According to the teachings, the main entrance to a home should be safe and well-lighted, and a large mat should be placed in front of the door. 

The Colors of Feng Shui

The teachings of Feng Shui recognize four basic colors: red, gold, white, and black. Shades of those colors can be combined in a wide range of ways in the rooms of a house to create a harmonious overall design. 

The Ideal Lighting for Feng Shui

Dimmed lighting, preferably with appropriate lampshades, will help you create a calm and balanced energy in your room. You should avoid bulbs that give off a harsh, cold light. You can use mirrors, which are best placed at eye level, to light up a room. When you choose a mirror, avoid ones with ornate frames.

Ambiente Light from Tereza Janků, photo Mgr. Tomáš Dittrich

Bedrooms According to Feng Shui

Perhaps the most important room in the house is the bedroom, where we gather up the energy to face a new day. A bedroom should be an oasis of tranquility for a balanced mind. Do you want to stem the flow of thoughts and tune into a peaceful wavelength? Combine the five basic elements and ensure yourself deep sleep.

Keep Things Tidy

The cornerstone of Feng Shui — and not only in the bedroom — is keeping a room clean and tidy, free of dust and piles of dirty laundry. Make your bed every morning and return the plates from your midnight snacks to the kitchen. You’ll see that you sleep much better.

A Practical Arrangement of Space

If you are having a problem keeping things in order, get yourself a chest of drawers or a closet and hide everything behind closed doors. Arrange your bedroom so that you have only those things in it that you absolutely need for your comfort. You don’t need a desk computer or a television for sleeping. Decorate the room only with objects that are pleasant to your eye and do not interrupt the flow of harmonious energy. 

Proper Use of Color in the Bedroom

Beige and brown are excellent choices for peaceful slumber. When you choose colors, go for muted tones that do not impede the flow of “chi.” Choosing the right tones will calm you down and prepare you for the night’s sleep you richly deserve. 

Placement of the Bed According to Feng Shui

Ideally, according to the principles of Feng Shui, it is best to locate a large, comfortable bed directly opposite the door or at least in a position where you can see it from the door. Don’t be afraid to cover it with a bedspread and lots of pillows, inviting you to come and rest. Nightstands naturally belong beside the bed, but they should look the same and be placed symmetrically on each side of it.

Accessories in the Bedroom

To maintain maximum privacy, it is a good idea to put curtains on the windows, which you can pull closed at night and create a peaceful, private atmosphere. During the day you should let as much daylight flood in as possible. To provide the right lighting you can also use different lamps and lampshades or candles that evoke a feeling of peace and safety. A few accessories can be placed on a wall to encourage the flow of “chi” and create a cozy, safe feeling. For example, hang a painting that evokes positive emotions in you or cover one wall with engineered stone, which adds the earth element to the room. You can choose from the color palette of the Noble collection, which includes slabs with subtle veining that enhance the elegant feeling of your home.

Engineered stone in Noble Troya, by Prostor Interiors

The Living Room According to Feng Shui

Sit down on your sofa and imbibe the harmony of your living room. Let go of your worries and relax when you come home from work or school. Invite your friends and chat with them in a tranquil living space. 

A Clean Space

Get rid of unnecessary, useless, sentimental knickknacks that soak up energy and obstruct the proper flow of “chi.” Keep the room clean and don’t forget to chase away the dust.

Placement of Furniture According to Feng Shui

Many rooms have so-called “dead zones,” in which energy stagnates. You can encourage the free flow of “chi” by arranging furniture in a curve in front of the corners of the room. You can fill up empty spaces with green plants or other thoughtfully chosen furnishings. Push your chairs up against the wall to ensure a clear view of the door. You can add a coffee table to the room, but be sure it is one without sharp corners. 

The Ideal Accessories

To create a relaxing atmosphere, spread out a large rug in a subdued color under your coffee table. Put a couple of small decorations that give you a positive feeling onto some shelves. You can place plants with rounded leaves in the open spaces in the corners to fill in any dead zones. Use the right lighting, preferably with a warm yellowish tone. A fireplace clad in engineered stone is an excellent addition to a room that will fill it with warm light and evoke a peaceful atmosphere. 

Kitchens According to Feng Shui

The kitchen is a gathering place for communal dinners where family members can share the events of the day just passed. It’s every cook’s field of battle as well. The kitchen, in short, is a center of action where life energy should constantly be flowing.

Placement of the Kitchen

If you are planning to build a house, you have a chance to influence its Feng Shui from the outset. Where you locate the kitchen plays an important role. It is best to put it as far as possible from the entrance door, ideally to the rear of your house or apartment. 

Appropriate Colors for a Kitchen

The ideal tones are beige, white, brown, and blue.  Don’t be afraid to combine colors with different materials — gold or black accessories will help you achieve the desired result. Incorporate materials into the kitchen that will play a key role in creating the perfect balance. Consider an engineered stone kitchen countertop in a light color and combine it with black metal hardware.

Placement of Furniture in a Kitchen According to Feng Shui

By the heart of your home, we mean your dining table, where you spend time not only over meals but also in conversation. It should ideally be placed so that there is sufficient room to move around it. Of course, another important element is the stove or cooker. It should stand in a place where it can easily be seen from the door. You should store sharp objects away from the countertop, ideally in drawers where you can easily reach them. Put away electronic items that you don’t need while cooking as well. Allow lots of fresh air to enter your kitchen.  

Decorations for the Kitchen

Why limit yourself when you equip your kitchen? Add life to it by growing herbs in clay pots, which you can use in your recipes. To promote the flow of energy, put fresh-cut flowers in vases or a bowl of fresh fruit on top of your bar made with engineered stone.