Put on Your Feng Shui Eyes

This article was submitted by Jenna Boyd, a certified Feng Shui practitioner and owner of Elements of Harmony Feng Shui, LLC

Working as a Feng Shui consultant has allowed me to witness many different residential and commercial environments. Following are a few examples, along with hints to improve the chi in work or living spaces. Implementing these subtle changes can have a huge impact - without spending a lot of money.


Furniture Placement:
The golden rule in Feng Shui is to face the door, as it represents the flow of life’s opportunities. For a number of my professional clients, just turning their desk has resulted in a turn around in their business. Try placing your desk in different locations to see how productive you feel in each. Notice the narrow feeling created when it is facing the wall; or how looking out a window may be distracting. Compare this to the empowered, expansive feeling evoked when the desk is facing into the room.

In living areas, sofas are often situated with the back facing the door. This creates an unwelcoming feeling. Typically, this occurs because there are too many pieces of furniture, or the room has limited arrangement options. However, there is always a way to open up a room. Take everything out, and put back only what is necessary for the space. Look in other rooms for furniture that may fit better.


Master Bedroom:
While formal bedrooms are beautiful, when they are overdone it may take away from the comfortable, intimate feeling of a cozy, sacred space. Our environments help to create our experience, so think “yummy” by adding soft, comfortable linens, accenting with items and fabrics in warm skin tones, and artwork that evokes feelings of passion or rest.

Paint Color:
For $100 you can paint your bedroom DIY (do it yourself) style, or spend about $200 and have a painter to do it for you; either way, the room will seem brand new. Once the room is painted, the key then is to resist putting things back in their original place. Be “on purpose” with adding in furniture, accessories and art that you love.


Liven up the space:
Bring up the chi in any space for just pennies by adding one additional light source. Situate three lamps so that they form a triangle within the room, then replace low-wattage bulbs with energy-efficient 100 or 150-watt bulbs. Three-way bulbs are an excellent solution for a multi-purpose space. Plants add lushness and comfort to any room. Use nature as artwork by opening the blinds to a beautiful backyard. Hang a mirror on the wall across from a window to reflect in the beauty of nature as art.

Shelf Units:
Consider how long belongings have been sitting on the same shelves. Recently, while working with a long-time client, we discussed taking out the books and other items from a bookshelf. They had sat unmoved for at least ten years. Afterward, she called and said that she felt we had “unlocked” something in her. Long story short, her mother had arranged the bookshelf and the books had belonged to her late husband. While clearing out those books and rearranging the shelves was a subtle change on the surface, in her heart, it was a big letting go.

Where to begin:
Start in the master bedroom and work out from there. Or, focus on the area of the home where the energy feels bottlenecked. And, remember that sometimes we need others to see for us what we are unable to see for ourselves. An Elements of Harmony Feng Shui consultation can provide a plan and implementation to refresh your space and re-energize your life.


Jenna Boyd, Elements of Harmony Feng Shui, LLC, is a certified Feng Shui practitioner, providing consultations for residential and commercial spaces. http://www.elementofharmony.com/  Contact: Jenna@elementsofharmony.com or 616.843.1890