Chinese New Year is right around the corner, and there's no better way to embrace the good luck by incorporating feng shui elements into your interior design - bring out the positive, the happiness, and the harmony in your home.
Feng shui is the practice of restoring balance into the space, and tapping into the positive energy of the universe to bring it into one's home. As Decoist puts it, "In essence, it is for a happy, healthy and prosperous lifestyle."
Here are a handful of feng shui tips to help you get a head start on your path towards a positive and happier lifestyle:
1. Front Door
When beginning to employ elements of feng shui into your home, the best place to start is your front door - after all, it is where everyone enters and exits your home.
"Feng shui says that the path leading to the door must always be curved and not a simple straight lie. This way the good chi can flow in, but the bad energy stays out," says Decoist.
The key to this is to have a curved entrance, make sure that nothing is blocking the doorway, and that the entryway is never cluttered.
2. Natural Greenery
Probably the best-known feng shui rule is to invite natural greenery into the home's interior. Indoor plants, herbs, hanging gardens, and even living wall ideas could be a great addition to the home.
Natural greenery allows its surroundings to breathe in more positivity, and even lift one's spirits up. This isn't limited to plants alone, but any living creature - like a pet who can bring abundant joy into the home.
3. Flowing Space
Sharp edges don't just throw off the balance of a room, but it can a dangerous hazard for any slip and fall accidents as well. Feng shui requires round edges and a lot of curvature - there is a Chinese belief that curves can bring in good luck.
It will be easy to bring in the right balance of the fire, wind, water and earth elements through various design pieces. Having the right balance and flow in a room will lift it with positivity.
Glass represents water, while ceramic furnishings manifest the earth element. If there's no fireplace, candles would do for the fire element. Just ensure that the room is not bombarded with a single color or material.
4. Color Scheme
Color choices are essential in designing a home, although every home is just as unique as their own color schemes. When deciding to incorporate feng shui into your interior design, the practice suggests making use of light , natural, and tranquil colors for the bedroom for touches of positive energy.
On the other hand, other area in the home like living rooms and other public spaces can use a bit more liveliness in terms of the color choice. The best rule of thumb is to use three different shades at most.
5. Lighting
The importance of lighting is often overlooked, although it is the most important. Obviously, lighting takes away the darkness - signifying negativity and bad chi - in a room.
The best source of positive chi is natural lighting - so ensure that the room has enough windows to bring in the outdoor light inwards during the day time. When the sun no longer shines, combine recessed and focused lighting into various parts of the room to evoke a refreshing vibe.
