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Bedroom Design
To create a restful bedroom with Feng Shui, place the bed diagonally opposite the door and keep the space clutter-free. Use natural materials, soft lighting, and well-positioned mirrors to enhance tranquillity and sleep quality.
11 Min Read | By Chris Clark
Last Modified 17 September 2024 First Added 4 March 2024
Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep? You’ve tried teas, schedules, and even room temperature tweaks, but have you considered the room’s layout and Feng Shui principles?
Feng Shui is a philosophy based on the ancient Chinese system of natural laws, which are supposed to govern the spatial arrangement and orientation of furniture and décor in relation to the flow of energy (Chi). The word ‘feng’ is Chinese for wind, and the word ‘shui’ is Chinese for water. Together, these symbolise the flow of life that one should aspire to have in one’s home by using interior design to achieve balance and happiness.
If you want to combat negative energy and bring joy to your sanctuary, join us as we share our expert tips on creating a blissful Feng Shui bedroom for better Zzzs.
There are many levels of Feng Shui expertise, as it takes years of study to master. Here are some basic Feng Shui fundamentals you can implement right away:
For positive energy in Feng Shui, your bed should be positioned centrally in the room against a wall but not pushed up against it so energy can flow around it. This is a fundamental Feng Shui concept called the “commanding position,” which refers to placing objects facing the entry door but not in line with it. The best Feng Shui bed position is diagonally from the door, so it is in your sight, but you do not look directly out of it.
Feng Shui isn’t just about room layout; it also considers your sleeping position and direction. According to its principles, you should sleep with your head pointing southward. This aligns with the traditional Chinese practice influenced by the southern winds.
Read more: What’s the Best Direction to Sleep In?
Feng Shui is all about the interaction of humans and the environments in which they spend their time. As a big portion of that is where we sleep, choosing a larger sized bed gives us maximum space to relax. If you have the room to upgrade, choose either a king sized bed or the luxuriously spacious super king beds.
Balance and symmetry are important for a good Feng Shui room layout. An easy way to create this is through bedside tables. Place one on either side of your bed, and your bedroom will start to feel harmonious, allowing you to achieve greater Chi. Place a bedroom plant on each side unit, and you’ll maximise the natural essence of your bedroom Feng Shui, too.
While mirrors are great for making a small room look bigger, mirror placement can be difficult when implementing bedroom Feng Shui. It is most important to ensure your mirrors aren’t in line with the bed, as this will likely bring more distracting elements into your sightline. This doesn’t mean mirrors are a no-go for a high-Chi bedroom. Try to make sure that you can’t see yourself from bed and that the mirror does not face out of the door—try a higher mirror for a good sense of balance.
A good idea is to place them opposite a window. This will help maximise light in your room without distracting you when you try to relax from your bed.
Nature is a key component of a Feng Shui bedroom, and an easy way to incorporate the natural world is through your windows. Whether through adjustable blinds or curtains, keep them open during the day to let in the daylight. Having windows open or cracked will let the air flow through your room to keep it fresh and clean and aid in better sleep.
A study published in the journal Indoor Air found that sleeping in well-ventilated rooms, whether through an open window or open door, led to enhanced sleep quality, reduced nighttime awakenings, and lower carbon dioxide levels. As the levels of carbon dioxide decreased, individuals experienced deeper and more uninterrupted sleep.
To bring in nature and fresh energy even more, use small indoor plants to introduce life energy and attract good fortune. Plants in your bedroom have lots of benefits, from inducing relaxation to purifying the air and even aiding sleep quality. The best plant for Feng Shui is the Jade plant, as it represents wealth, prosperity, and friendship.
Another way to incorporate natural elements into your bedroom is by using natural bedding. Look for natural mattresses that use bamboo or cotton to help reduce the amount of synthetic material in your sleeping space. These aren’t just great for improving the levels of Feng Shui in your master suite but are also ideal for temperature regulation, as natural materials wick moisture better than their non-natural counterparts.
You can find advice on what to wear to bed in our guide.
Blue light is one of the worst offenders when it comes to preventing sleep. But when it comes to creating the right levels of yin and yang in your bedroom, it goes beyond simply the fact that technology disrupts our circadian rhythms. As Feng Shui centres around the natural world, anything technological or man-made can reduce the level of Chi in our environment and, therefore, start to disrupt our sleep and relaxation.
Sleep relaxation is best achieved when nothing in the bedroom design stands out or draws too much attention. To achieve this sense of balance, which is also a key part of Feng Shui, choose muted and soothing colours and patterns. Pastel tones are great here. Soothing blues, pinks, and greens work well to create a harmonious, distraction-free boudoir.
Go one step further than muted colour tones and bring in the calming low-light bulbs and mood lighting. This will help create a relaxing ambience in your bedroom and provide that sense of calm and quiet that’s so important to a great night’s sleep. It’ll also help create a sense of balance within your room, once again improving the all-important levels of Chi throughout.
Essential oils are a great way to make your bedroom cosy and promote peace and restful sleep. From natural air fresheners to oils like lavender or sandalwood, there are lots of essential oils for sleep that can uplift the bedroom’s Feng Shui.
To create a calming and comfortable space further, consider using rugs, throws, blankets, or cushions in your bedroom. These will not only make your sanctuary warm and inviting for the winter but also allow you to feel relaxed.
If you want to do Feng Shui in your bedroom, be selective with the art or posters that you choose to put on your walls. These should evoke happiness and encourage love, so avoid any artwork with aggressive imagery. Focus on what makes you happy, or focus on artwork that depicts two images or artwork that comes in pairs to add the balance of Feng Shui.
A solid headboard will help increase symmetry and balance in your bedroom. It will also make sitting up in bed and reading a book more comfortable before drifting off into dreamland.
Perhaps difficult for bookworms and literary enthusiasts, but books are just another form of distraction when trying to sleep. They also contain active energy, and bookshelves can be quite counterproductive to your Feng Shui. Try moving bookshelves or the books you have out of your bedroom for better energy flow.
Only keep the one you’re reading at the time within reach. This will help to minimise disruption as you try to sleep. We’ve all been at that point in a book where we think we might swap it for another, but this won’t help your mind turn off while you’re getting ready for bed. It’s best to continue with the one you’ve started or at least leave the change until the next day.
Not only should you keep the books out of the bedroom, but keeping your work away from your sleep environment is key to Feng Shui. This lets you step away from the day’s stress and unwind peacefully. Whether it’s your desk, home office, or even workout equipment, keep it away from your bedroom for better positive energy flow.
Clutter in your bedroom can disrupt the energy flow and can also cause stress when your space isn’t neat or tidy. Use storage spaces where possible to keep clutter at bay. This is also true for your bed; making sure nothing is stored below your bed allows energy to flow around it freely.
With clean lines to allow for peace and tranquillity, low platform beds are great for Feng Shui. Emulating Japandi fashion, they take up less space, creating more room for positive energy flow, and are closer to the ground for natural comfort and cosiness. Just make sure to position your bed centrally and create balance with furniture for the ideal layout.
To achieve a bedroom with good Feng Shui, it’s important to limit all distractions. Keeping drawers and wardrobe doors closed will help limit distractions when you’re trying to sleep or relax before bed. So, even if, after a long day, you jump straight into bed and realise your wardrobe is slightly open, it’s best to get out and close it before you try to nod off. Trust us, you’ll fall asleep faster.
As previously mentioned, there are certain things that you should avoid when it comes to creating a harmonious and balanced Feng Shui bedroom:
Feng Shui master consultant Alan Stirling says:
You can sleep under a window as long as there is some wall, and you can draw the curtains behind you. This then simulates a solid wall. However, you should never sleep against a floor to ceiling window. In addition to the ‘command’ location of your bed, you also need something taller on the left-hand side when lying in bed, and something smaller on the right. This emulates the way that energy flows around the body; as well as the movement of Sun and Moon on our planet, when standing or sleeping with our back to the magnetic fields (north pole). Mirrors are a big problem as you should never be able to see yourself when lying in bed. Your subconscious is aware of the reflection which will only produce a fitful sleep at best. Just move or cover the mirrors at night with fabric or a curtain. By far the best way of getting a good night’s rest is to sleep in a favourable direction and I have seen many lives transformed from just realigning the bed. My Feng Shui site has the formula that helps you find your best direction for either prosperity, sleep, health family harmony or long life. You can also add favourable colours and our site tells you how to do this too.
You can sleep under a window as long as there is some wall, and you can draw the curtains behind you. This then simulates a solid wall. However, you should never sleep against a floor to ceiling window.
In addition to the ‘command’ location of your bed, you also need something taller on the left-hand side when lying in bed, and something smaller on the right. This emulates the way that energy flows around the body; as well as the movement of Sun and Moon on our planet, when standing or sleeping with our back to the magnetic fields (north pole).
Mirrors are a big problem as you should never be able to see yourself when lying in bed. Your subconscious is aware of the reflection which will only produce a fitful sleep at best. Just move or cover the mirrors at night with fabric or a curtain.
By far the best way of getting a good night’s rest is to sleep in a favourable direction and I have seen many lives transformed from just realigning the bed.
My Feng Shui site has the formula that helps you find your best direction for either prosperity, sleep, health family harmony or long life. You can also add favourable colours and our site tells you how to do this too.
For your bedroom walls and art, use soothing natural colours such as ‘skin colours’ – these vary from pale white to rich chocolate brown.
Below is a helpful colour wheel demonstrating the Feng Shui relationship between colour and mood.
In Feng Shui, when a practitioner refers to a colour chart, they generally refer to the colours associated with each life area of the Bagua, or Pakua. In addition to the specific life areas and colours, each of the nine sections of the Pakua also has a corresponding element and direction.
With just a few minor adjustments to your new Feng Shui bedroom, you can invite a wave of positive energy into your sleep sanctuary. This will help you nurture a space that promotes your well-being and supports a restful night’s slumber.
See all articles by Chris Clark
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