Modern Feng Shui Guide
Design Your Home According to Feng Shui Principles

The Entryway

To begin with, we’ll discuss the entryway. It may not seem like an important part of the house, but think of it in terms of getting the first impression – it is a prelude to what awaits next. If the impression you get when you walk through your door is positive, you will most likely have a positive outlook on the rest of your property as well.

First and foremost, remember that what is discussed here is the entryway after the main door, that is, the one you use the most often. This means that it doesn't necessarily have to be the actual front door – some people use the patio or garage door more often. Either way, the one you use the most is considered the main door.

Before all else, your home’s entryway should be broad and relatively spacious – allow the Qi to flow in! In Feng Shui, the main door is known as the “mouth of Qi” (Figure 5). Keeping this area clean and unobstructed is crucial to allow positive energy to flow freely into your home. Avoid entrances that lead straight to the living space – the entryway should not encroach on other rooms. The entryway is a place of Yang energy and so Yang elements are always welcome here. Have it well-lit if not much natural light reaches it, but overall, natural light is the most desirable. Mirrors, which also serve as typical Yang elements, will fit well here, but be mindful of not placing a mirror directly opposite to the door. It’s also a good idea to have some broad-leaf plants around – these are inherently Yang and can serve as a reminder that your home is a place where life thrives. Try not to clutter this space with objects of everyday use, such as shoes scattered around the floor, to prevent obstructing the flow of Qi. Although popular in many modern homes, try to avoid furniture with sharp corners or exposed beams, such as open shelves on the walls.

Handling Difficult Entryway Shapes

It often so happens that the entryway is a long corridor (Figure 6). Such corridors are best avoided since long and narrow spaces result in a very abrupt, quick flow of Qi, which becomes aggressive and destructive (so-called “killing Qi,” 殺氣 shā qì). However, if you have no choice in that matter, there are a few helpful tricks to solve it. First, fill the walls with mirrors or artwork to divert attention from the corridor’s length. Pendant lights work great in such instances, as they not only attract the visitor’s attention, but also act as Qi absorbers, shielding the rest of the house from aggressive Qi coming through that long corridor.

If you live in a small apartment, like a studio, you naturally have limited options. Nonetheless, it is vital to somehow separate the entryway from the rest of the apartment. For instance, you can arrange the furniture in the room your door opens into to form a semicircle, creating the impression of a small entryway.

The Living Room

Now, let’s move on to the living room. For most of us, this is where we spend most of our day, whether relaxing or entertaining guests, which makes it the room most fit for abundant Yang energy. For that reason, don’t hesitate to decorate it with vibrant elements – lush green plants, mirrors, artwork, and lots of light will do the living room good. Some even consider an aquarium because it allows you to have “living” water inside. Additionally, it’s best if the living room occupies a prominent position in the house, somewhere in its center – the living room needs lots of positive Qi that should flow freely around it (Figure 7).

As for the furniture, start by establishing the command position and placing the main seat there. More often than not, it will be a sofa. In establishing the command position, try to use similar principles as with the command position of the entire house. Place the sofa against a wall and leave some free space in front of it. Make sure you can see the whole room from it, especially the entrance. Once you have the command position covered, complement it with other pieces. Armchairs, stools, etc. should form a semicircle with no seats left out of the group. It doesn’t have to be an exact circle; simply make sure that the different seats complement each other and their occupants can all engage in the conversation or other activity. Next up, anchor the space. This is mainly done through small tables (e.g., coffee tables) placed in the middle of the room. What’s left to do now is to just fill the empty space – a console or side table next to the sofa could expand it visually, making it feel more welcoming. Fill a corner with a larger plant or a floor lamp if your room lacks natural light. Homeowners also need some storage in the living room, for which sideboards and cabinets come in handy. Make sure, however, not to leave them just filling up the space on their own. Instead, use them as a base for other elements. You can, for example, hang an art piece or a mirror over a cabinet, or place a lamp or TV on top of it.

Things to Avoid in the Living Room

We briefly mentioned the TV, mirrors, and lighting, but these deserve a more extensive commentary. First, it’s hard to imagine a modern home without a TV, but we often ascribe more prominence to it than necessary. The living room should predominantly urge its occupants to engage in conversations and social activities, not to stare blankly at the TV in silence (Figure 8). Therefore, never place it in the most prominent position – the TV should not become the main attraction of your living room. Secondly, we’ve already established that mirrors are Yang in nature, so it's no surprise that they fit well in living rooms. Beware, however, of what the mirror reflects. The most general rule states that the mirrors should never be hung directly opposite the entrance (so it’s not reflected in it) and that they should reflect the things we want to cherish. A good rule is to place mirrors where you would otherwise prefer to have windows. Lastly, lighting also requires careful consideration since it’s a powerful tool for managing the visual aspect of your space. It’s almost always better to have numerous smaller light sources coming from different directions instead of just one but very bright. In that way, the lighting will more closely resemble natural light dispersing around the room. If you really need a single bright lamp, e.g., a chandelier, never place it over the command position or over the seating areas. Floor lamps come in especially handy if you have to deal with a challenging room shape. For instance, a low ceiling can be visually heightened by an uplighter, whereas smaller rooms can be “enlarged” with a lamp standing in the corner.

The Dining Room

Modern Feng Shui practice dictates that the dining room is second in importance, right after the living room. Although the theory is clear, the importance of the dining room is often neglected because having such a space is not as popular as it once was. We tend to merge the dining space with some other room, which is the most practical solution, but without careful planning, it can easily violate core Feng Shui precepts. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that the dining area requires slightly different energy levels than the kitchen, with which it is often combined. The dining room is a high-activity social space, much like the living room, so if you have to choose which room to combine it with, try the living room first (but only if it’s big enough to do it comfortably). The kitchen is treated somewhat differently in Feng Shui (see next chapter), so it’s advisable to leave it to its primary function only. Whether you combine the dining area with the living room or the kitchen, remember to treat it as a separate space, visually detached from the room it occupies (Figure 9).

The dining table obviously takes the command position in the dining area and everything else should be subordinate to it. However, there are a few guidelines to follow when placing the dining table. First, don't position it against the wall, as this would block the free flow of Qi around it. Instead, put it in the middle of the designated dining area to allow the Qi to flow freely. Secondly, table shape matters – round or square are the best since it’s impossible to form any hierarchy among the people around them. If the table is rectangular, there are two head seats, one at each end of the table, which are symbolically honorary. Avoid irregular shapes that might prevent somebody from seeing everyone else. Make sure that all chairs are uniform and no spare chairs are cluttering the space around – all chairs should be around the table, welcoming everyone who enters the room.

Since the dining room is a social area of the house, Yang in nature, the principles regarding its decoration are similar to those of the living room. It’s ideal to have an abundant source of natural light. When it comes to artificial lighting, unlike the living room, the dining room is a good place for a hanging lamp, like a chandelier – all attention of the dining area is focused on the centerpiece, the table, so a lamp right over it will additionally draw the people’s attention to it. Any other furniture placed in the dining room (such as a console) should be rather low and placed against a wall – these are merely complementary features that should not steal the spotlight from the dining table. As with the living room, this is also a proper place for vibrant decorations on the walls and some larger broad-leaf plants to fill the corners.

The Kitchen

Classical Feng Shui didn’t treat the kitchen as a part of the house but rather as a service room. Hence, little attention was usually paid to it. Times have changed, however, so modern Feng Shui has to account for the kitchen as for any other room.

The kitchen produces a disproportionately high influence of the Fire element and, for this reason alone, it should be a separate space. Ideally, it should not be in the center of the house or right next to the bathroom, which is dominated by the Yin Water element, making it an opposite of the kitchen. Having an open kitchen instead of a separate room is highly undesirable. If you live in a small apartment with a kitchenette, do whatever you can to separate it from the living area, physically and visually. Ensure proper ventilation and always keep the cooking area tidy (Figure 10).

In Feng Shui, the primary kitchen appliance is the stove, which should be given the command position, ideally on a kitchen island. Next in order is the sink, but due to the contrasting nature of stoves and sinks, they should not be placed too close to each other. The fridge and the dishwasher also represent the Water element, so avoid placing them right next to the stove. The kitchen needs natural ventilation, and since it is a Yang area, a nearby window is a must. However, do not hang mirrors in the kitchen – a cooking area naturally has lots of aggressive Qi, which does not need further amplification.

Cooking involves dirty dishes and lots of various appliances. Kitchen is also where many of us keep recycling bins. But it’s important to keep this area clean and tidy, and all the messy items should be kept out of sight. The same goes for open shelves, which are best avoided. Cluttering the space in your kitchen would also aggravate this area’s already intense energy. Larger appliances, like the fridge or the dishwasher, should be in neutral colors so they don’t stand out. Try to make them blend in with the surrounding drawers and cupboards. If you feel that the Fire element is too overwhelming in your kitchen, try to neutralize it with the Wood element, for example, in the form of plants or natural materials.

The Bedroom

After a series of Yang rooms, let’s look at the bedroom, in which the Yin-type energy dominates. As a place dedicated to sleep and rest, you naturally need to make it as calm and discreet as possible, but beware of making it too lifeless and bleak. Additionally, remember that your bedroom is your sanctuary from the outside world, so it’s best not to have it too close to the main entrance or under the influence of intense-energy rooms such as the kitchen.

As you probably expect, the bed must occupy the command position of the bedroom. It is the room’s most essential element, so its position should not be completely arbitrary. First and foremost, the bed should have a wall behind it. This means that the bed should be accessible from both sides, but at the same time not just “floating” in the room with no support from any direction. While on the bed, you should have a clear view of the entire room, especially the entrance. It is also desirable to have a small open space at its foot, which serves as the Ming Tang. Do not hang a lamp directly over the bed. Pictures or paintings hanging on the wall right behind the bed are also best avoided, as is the case with large shelves or mirrors (Figure 11).

Placing the bed in the optimal position is tricky because of windows – you already know windows allow the Qi to enter and are associated with Yang energy due to the natural light that comes through them. This might lead you to believe that windows are best avoided altogether, but that’s not true. Sure, too many windows will disrupt the primary function of the bedroom, but having none is simply impractical. To ensure an appropriately calming nature of the room, try not to place the bed too close to a window. This might prove challenging since, as we’ve mentioned, you need a good view of the entire bedroom from your bed. This may leave no choice but to put the bed next to a window and opposite the door. If the shape of your room does not allow you to satisfy all these requirements, a bed close to a window will do, provided that you have solid curtains to block off the sunlight when you need to rest.

When it comes to other bedroom elements, use regular shapes in neutral colors – the bedroom is associated with the Earth element, so avoid any irregular-shaped objects or those with sharp edges. The best way to store your necessities in a bedroom is to have a fitted or full-width wardrobe. Such wardrobes are not visually distracting and work well with the Earth element. Plants in this room are fine, but do not place any too close to the bed since they are naturally Yang. TVs are not welcome here. In many modern houses, the TV has made its way to the bedrooms. Nonetheless, any Feng Shui practitioner will condemn this practice, since TVs stand in complete opposition to what’s desired in a bedroom. Their presence and use in the bedroom provide an unhealthy imbalance to your rest, which is the room’s primary purpose.

Some people also like to have walk-in closets in their bedrooms, which is understandable given their practicality. However, an additional door in your bedroom might suggest that it’s a transitional room. Creating such associations is best avoided. For this reason, it is advisable to locate the walk-in closet outside of the bedroom or at least make the door as discreet as possible, e.g., painting it the same color as the walls.

Office Area

Now, let’s move on to the office. Not all of us have it in the house; not even everyone who works from home does. But if you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated workspace, here are some steps you can take to maximize the proper flow of Qi and ensure Yin-Yang balance.

The command position should be occupied by what you work at most of the time – be it a desk, a piano, or a potter’s wheel. You should be facing the entrance when you sit at it, so do not place the chair with your back to the door! If this is unattainable, at least have the door on your side. Some people, for example those working on multiple computer screens, prefer to have a wall behind them (Figure 12). In this case, remember to position the desk so that you can still see the door on your side. Although the office is where you keep all the materials needed for work, this room should not be cluttered; organization and tidiness are crucial to keeping your thoughts organized as well. It’s probably best to store the office supplies (books, documents, stationery, etc.) behind you – in this way, your command position is supported from the back by a bookshelf, for example. As you might’ve noticed, the rules for furnishing the house generally align with the rules for positioning the house, and the office is no exception (Figure 13).

Some office areas require additional seating to accommodate clients or simply to allow for a moment of relaxation. In this case, your workstation should still occupy the command position. Contrary to your main working item, such seats should not face the door but rather allow people to face each other, welcoming everyone into the room and encouraging conversation.

Contrary to most other rooms, having a single bright light source in the office is generally a good idea, as such lighting is considered beneficial to increase productivity and creativity. As for other non-essential elements, an aquarium might be a good addition. The aquarium’s clean, constantly filtered water is teeming with life, thus facilitating the dissipation of prosperous Qi. Additionally, an aquarium can have a calming effect, and the Chinese see it as a symbol of wealth.

Combining the Office Space with Another Room

If you can’t dedicate a separate room to an office and have to work from your bedroom or the living room, ensure the workspace is separated from other areas to minimize their influence on your work. The office area is Yang by nature, so combining it with the living room would be logical. On the other hand, the living room is a high-activity social space that contrasts with the concentration required for work. This is why merging them is difficult; in some cases, the bedroom might be more advisable. Whichever you choose, separate the working space as much as possible. Place it on such an end of the room where you have ample natural light, face the door, and be close to any tools you might need for your work.

The Bathroom

Similarly to the kitchen, bathrooms were not traditionally regarded as parts of the house (since they were located outside), so traditional Feng Shui rarely refers to a bathroom. It was considered a space that drains positive Qi since the room is mostly about discharging waste and filth. Nonetheless, modern housing forced Feng Shui to develop a set of rules about this room, which we briefly summarize here.

The toilet occupies the command position of the bathroom. It’s only natural, as this is where we sit and probably spend the most time in this room. If possible, avoid placing it right next to the bathtub, which is second in importance in the bathroom. If you have a shower, things get much easier – showers are most often enclosed, so no factors really hinder their placement, since the space is naturally separated from others. The third most important item in the bathroom is the sink. The sink and vanity cabinets might be useful for separating the toilet and the bathtub.

From the Feng Shui perspective, having a window in your bathroom would be advisable, but it is often just not there, especially if you live in an apartment. Still, ensuring proper ventilation and bright lighting is crucial (Figure 14). The bathroom air should not be stale or stifling so as not to create dead Qi inside. Using bright lighting might be surprising, as the bathroom is considered a Yin-dominated area. Still, it all boils down to keeping a positive outlook on a room traditionally viewed as unlucky. Since the Water element dominates the bathroom, use Earth-associated decor to balance it out. This includes mild colors, like beige, earth tones, or off-white and ceramic elements that are smooth, rounded, and gentle in shape. Materials such as wicker are also desirable since they counter the dominance of the Water element. The same goes for small plants, but naturally only those that could thrive in the specific environment of the bathroom. Mirrors are desirable, but it is best if they don’t reflect the toilet.

Managing the Space – Artwork, Lamps, and Useful Tips

Hanging pictures or artwork is a great way not only to make a space more catered to your taste but also to manipulate its visual volume. This is especially useful if the room you’re decorating is small. For instance, a single large piece may add scale to a room, a combination of shorter furniture and tall artwork on a wall may help make low ceilings feel higher, whereas putting large, heavy items at the end of a long and narrow room can make it feel a bit shorter. Mirrors work similarly, although placing them requires careful consideration. According to Feng Shui principles, mirrors work like windows (attracting positive Qi), so putting them in low-energy areas is not advisable. Mirrors should also be placed where they can reflect the happy moments you want to cherish, hence the advice not to put them opposite the toilet.

In Feng Shui, natural light is of high importance. The rule of thumb is that no natural light equals no life (i.e., positive Qi). However, artificial lighting helps manage space and its visual aspect. Additionally, artificial light influences the Yin-Yang balance of a given room. It is important to note that using artificial light means dealing with light as much as with shadow. To best mimic natural light, try using several different sources in one room instead of only one but very strong (unless necessary for your specific needs). Naturally, placing the light sources in high-activity areas is best, while some less-used corners may be left darker. For spaces with high Yang energy, it’s better to use cool white light bulbs, which provide a more dazzling light, while the warm white ones suit Yin areas better. Consider the following examples: standing lamps are an excellent addition to an empty corner, which might otherwise feel cold and secluded; table lamps may act as sculpture-like pieces that anchor consoles or side tables; whereas uplighters are good to make a room with a low ceiling appear taller. As already established, hanging lamps or chandeliers should not loom directly over the command position, with the exception of the dining room.

Decorations Typical for Feng Shui

Last but not least, some decorative elements popular among Feng Shui practitioners are also worth mentioning. Using them is highly subjective, and the only thing to consult here is your taste – if such omens of good fortune make you feel reassured, or you simply enjoy the way they look, go for it. However, remember that these are merely symbols, so you cannot expect them to produce miracles just because you have them somewhere at home.

The maneki-neko cat – this cute feline figure is in fact of Japanese origin, but has long since made its mark on Feng Shui (Figure 15). The figure in question is not waving, as many are led to believe, but rather beckoning – they are ushering people to enter the building where they are placed. On a symbolic level, these cats are said to attract good fortune and prosperity. Their Chinese name also reflects this function – it is known as 招財貓 (zhāo cái māo), which means “fortune-beckoning cat.” Therefore, it might be a good idea to place them somewhere where Qi enters the house, e.g., close to the main door or at your windowsill, facing outwards. The latter has become especially popular since many maneki-neko are solar-battery powered.

Ba Gua mirror – said to be a powerful spiritual tool, this mirror belongs outside of the house, not inside (Figure 16). Its name relates to Eight Trigrams, a set of symbols from Chinese philosophy associated with Yin and Yang. These trigrams are depicted around the mirror. The mirror itself is said to deflect the negative Qi and harmful external influences; this is why it should be hung outside, preferably over the main door or right next to it. They are especially popular among inhabitants of houses with unfavorable surroundings, for instance at a very busy street, next to a graveyard, or by a barren terrain. If that’s also your case, hanging one might make you feel more protected from harmful outside influences.

Decor in the form of a calabash gourd – items shaped in the form of this vegetable are symbols of good health in Chinese culture. They are also said to absorb negative, dead Qi and are especially relevant to the health of the house’s inhabitants. The plant itself is also considered a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Additionally, the Chinese name for calabash sounds almost exactly like the word for “wealth and good fortune,” so for many Chinese the calabash has also become a symbol of wealth. Calabash-shaped items are especially desirable in smaller houses, in which they may separate rooms that should not be placed too close to each other, such as the kitchen and the bathroom.

Paintings with traditional Chinese motifs – popular among Feng Shui practitioners, although they are not directly derived from the Feng Shui tradition. Most popular motifs include dragons (representing growth and prosperity; best avoided in Yin areas), mandarin ducks (representing love), cranes (representing longevity), the Fu Lu Shou, a trio of Taoist deities (representing wealth, reputation, and longevity), a turtle (representing stability, best placed at the backside of the house), or guardian lions (always in pairs!). All of these are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and have their specific symbolism associated with them. Whether you choose to place these symbols around your house is completely up to you, although they might provide neat finishing touches on your otherwise perfectly arranged home.