Feng Shui
These design tips will creative positive energy in your space
By
Anjie Cho
Anjie Cho
Anjie Cho is a certified feng shui consultant, professional architect, and author with over 20 years of experience designing spaces. She co-founded the Mindful Design Feng Shui School and wrote "Holistic Spaces: 108 Ways to Create a Mindful and Peaceful Home."
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and
Megan McCarty
Megan McCarty
Megan is a writer, editor, etc.-er, with over 13 years of experience in both print and digital media. She regularly contributes to design-focused outlets such as MyDomaine, Architectural Digest, Domino, House & Home, and Hunker.
Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process
Updated on 11/11/24
If you're looking to improve the feng shui in your home, start with the bedroom. The ancient Chinese art of arranging objects is a practice that some believe can positively affect your relationships, comfort, health, and well-being.
According to feng shui principles, the bedroom is the most important room in your home. Feng shui practitioners believe that making simple adjustments like positioning mirrors correctly and facing your bed in the right direction can create peaceful, balanced energy throughout the space.
Read on for tips on how to feng shui your bedroom, as well as ways to help you avoid bringing negative energy into your sanctuary.
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What is the best direction for the bed to face?
The best position for your bed to face is south. In general, though, place your bed using the principle of the commanding position, which means putting your bed somewhere that allows you to see the bedroom door without being directly in line with it. If this isn't possible, place a mirror to see the door's reflection when you're in bed.
What should you have in your bedroom for good feng shui?
When it comes to feng shui in your bedroom, adopt a less-is-more approach. Besides a comfortable bed with feel-good linens, a solid headboard, and a grounding rug, eliminate whatever else you can. That means there should not be any clutter, electronics, or wayward socks that didn't make it into your hamper.
What is the bed position to avoid for feng shui?
Avoid placing your bed directly in line with your bedroom door. Avoiding the "coffin position" is very important in feng shui design. The coffin position means your feet point out the door as you lie in bed.
Feng Shui Bedroom Rules
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Place Your Bed in the Commanding Position
Properly positioning your bed is the first step in creating good feng shui in your bedroom. It's important because that's where you spend upwards of a third of your life.
- Arrange your bed in a commanding position. This means that when you are in your bed, you’re facing the door, but you should not be directly in line with the door.
- You don’t want doors opening directly in line with the bed. Especially avoid the “coffin position” where your feet point out the door.
- Place your headboard against a solid wall. Avoid, whenever possible, arranging your bed under a window.
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Get a Headboard
In feng shui, a headboard represents stability and support in your life, especially in your romantic relationships. The best headboards are solid, without any perforations. Opt for soft edges whenever possible and ensure your headboard is securely attached so you can feel its support and strength.
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Declutter Beneath the Bed
If possible, completely clear the space under your bed so that the qi (life force energy) can flow freely and evenly around the energy fields of your bed as you snooze, rejuvenating you overnight.
If you can't keep the area completely clutter-free, be conscious of what you put under there. Love letters from your ex aren't a good idea, and neither are shoes, which can subconsciously make you feel like you're moving instead of resting. The same goes for luggage—keeping your carry-on under your bed projects a feeling of being on the go, never feeling quite at home.
Storing soft, sleep-related items, like linens, blankets, and pillows, is a better option. A small number of books is also acceptable, as long as their titles and content are positive. Leave the war novels and sad memoirs to another room.
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Reduce Electronics
Whenever possible, remove electronics such as televisions, computers, and cell phones from your bedroom. The presence of devices that emit the largest amounts of electric and magnetic fields could disturb your immune system and sleep.
Consider keeping your phone in another room, relying on a traditional alarm clock, and reading a book—not scrolling endlessly on your phone—before bed to wind down instead.
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Create a Symmetrical Bedroom Layout
Use symmetry to create balanced energy in your bedroom. If possible, leave equal room on both sides of the bed allowing two nightstands and table lamps.
The nightstands don't have to match, but they should be complementary and balanced to create equal space for two partners, allowing for more harmony in a relationship.
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Incorporate Neutral Colors
The best feng shui bedroom colors are neutral, non-stimulating hues. Opt for beiges, creams, or earthy tones, which promote relaxation. Try cool blues and pale greens if you want rejuvenation and vitality.
For small doses of color, decorate with accessories associated with partnership energy: pinks, reds, and whites. Those dashes of color can be included through candles, crystals, artwork, or bed linens.
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Be Selective About Your Art
If you want to do feng shui in the bedroom to encourage love and romance, put photos of your family in other rooms in the house.
If you’re single and looking for a partnership, avoid images of single people or objects. Instead, focus on bedroom artwork depicting couples, or two items in the image, or choose artwork that comes in pairs.
08 of 16
Move the Books Out
Books contain active energy, stimulating the mind. Tall, looming pieces of furniture, like bookshelves, can give off constrictive energy.
Move books (and the entire bookshelf, if applicable) out of your bedroom for a more restful night's sleep. The book you're currently reading can live on your nightstand.
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09 of 16
Banish Exercise Equipment
Workout gear is very "yang," meaning it is a source of active energy. While this can be ideal in other areas of your home, it’s not very helpful for winding down to sleep.
You want the bedroom to be more "yin" to help you rest and sleep, so it’s best to keep exercise equipment in another area of your home.
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Separate Your Bed and Desk
Having your desk and work materials right next to your bed can make it harder to turn off your emails and meetings-focused brain in the evening, and can also make it harder to stay focused and alert during the day.
If you don’t have the space elsewhere in your home to create a dedicated office, adjust the bedroom's layout to create separation between your bed and workspace. Consider hanging a curtain or setting up a folding screen, or try covering your desk at the end of each day with a piece of cloth.
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Consider Your Bed Size
If your space and budget allow, invest in the biggest bed your bedroom can accommodate. Any bed smaller than a full-sized one won't allow the chi to circulate smoothly. Plus, if you’re hoping to invite a partner into your life, you'll want to make sure there is space for both of you.
There can be such a thing as too big of a bed, though. King-sized beds generally require a box spring that comes in two separate pieces, which disrupts the connection and harmony between two partners. Look for a bed that doesn't need a split box spring or opt for a platform bed.
Proportionate Dimensions
Consider the right-sized area rug for your bed to keep the room balanced. You will want a rug that's the right dimension so parts of your bed, nightstands, and bench sit properly on the carpet. For example, an area rug too small for a large bedroom makes the space appear awkward and "off."
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Add Just Enough Plants
Feng shui experts are divided about the use of plants in the bedroom.Some consider living green plants good feng shui for the bedroom because they bring vibrant life energy, while other experts say they add too much energy to allow for restful sleep.
The best course of action is to avoid making your bedroom into a jungle of plants. One or two plants are perfect; more than that may invite too much energy into your space and disrupt your sleep.
Choose the Right Plant
Pick a plant that will thrive in your bedroom's specific lighting, heat, and humidity conditions. If you lack a green thumb, try a hard-to-kill plant, like a pothos, to ensure that any greenery in your bedroom doesn't look sickly if you forget to water it.
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Be Selective About Linens
Choose the color of your bed linens based on what you want to invite into your life. Soothing neutrals are always a good choice, as they promote relaxation.
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Bring in Fresh Flowers
Fresh-cut flowers can feel especially luxurious in your bedroom. Choose blooms you are attracted to, or select them by looking up the meanings of certain flowers.
To maintain good feng shui, always keep the water fresh and dispose of the flowers as soon as they have wilted.
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Cleanse Your Bedroom
Take time to clear your bedroom regularly. Smudge the bedroom or diffuse the space with sweet orange oil to uplift your bedroom's feng shui and energy.
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Place Mirrors Appropriately
Mirrors are great for good feng shui, so long as they are used correctly and intentionally!
First, proper mirror placement is essential for good feng shui in your bedroom. Avoid placing your mirror where it would face your bed. Next, put mirrors in places that would reflect nice things (i.e. reflecting the trees outside). Finally, avoid using broken mirrors.
Feng Shui Don'ts for Bedrooms
There's even more you can do to promote good feng shui in your bedroom. Beware though: some things are considered bad feng shui.
Here are additional tips for feng shui that do not belong in the bedroom and more important points on how to position a bed:
- Don't put your bed where it will face a mirror, as the reflection could disturb your sleep.
- Don't place your headboard against a wall with a toilet on the other side or your good fortune could be flushed away. If you have a primary bathroom connected to your bedroom, also avoid placing your bed in direct alignment with the bathroom door.
- Don’t place your bed under any low beams, soffits, or sloped ceilings or you will feel pressure.
- Don't place water fountains, water features, or images of water in your bedroom, as that could encourage good fortune and love could wash away. While water elements (like fountains and artwork depicting oceans) can promote good feng shui in the home, they should also be kept outside the bedroom since they give off too much energetic yang energy.
- Don't push the side of your bed up against a wall. Make sure your bed is positioned on a wall where space is available on three sides of the bed (left, right, and foot) so that energy is not trapped.
- Don't hang a chandelier over your bed because it may cause harsh light and uneasy feelings if something dangles above you at night.
FAQ
What items bring good luck to a bedroom in feng shui?
Items that bring good luck to a bedroom in feng shui include lucky bamboo plants, laughing Buddha, wind chimes, and Chinese money plants.
Is it bad feng shui to have a TV in your bedroom?
Yes. In feng shui, a TV in the bedroom can disrupt your sleep as well as bring in negative energy.
How can I activate the wealth corner of my bedroom?
To activate the wealth corner of your bedroom (the southeast corner), add items that symbolize wealth, such as a money tree, art depicting abundance, and colors associated with wealth, like green and purple.
How do I get rid of negativity in my bedroom?
To cleanse a room of negativity, declutter the space and then light a sage or palo santo smudge stick. Do not leave the smudge stick unattended until the flame goes out completely.
How can I make my bedroom lucky?
According to feng shui, a clean, decluttered room with soft colors invites the most luck. Avoid furniture with sharp angles, and keep electronics in another room.