Lately there’s been such a huge push towards looking after your mental wellbeing. Whether it’s through yoga, meditation or simply breaking bad habits, calmness and clarity is something many of us are striving for.
For me, it all starts in the home…. the right environment can totally transform your mood – all it takes is a little styling. So without further ado, here are some of my favourite styling tips and tricks from the feng-shui masters themselves…
CLEAR CLUTTER
It probably goes without saying, but keeping mess around the house is the easiest way to build up negative energy in your home. For me, mess and clutter is a major stress-factor. Not to mention, it’s just distracting! If you’ve got a bit of a hoarding habit, this task may seem a little daunting but believe me when I say it will make a world of difference. Once you get started it’s not so bad, it can even be quite therapeutic!
LIGHT
There’s not a lot of people that want to live their lives in dark, danky room… and there’s a reason why! In Feng Shui, light represents yang energy, which promotes feelings of inspiration and happiness, so roll the blinds, sweep back the curtains and let that happiness flow! If you don’t have access to a lot of natural light, consider buying a warm-coloured desk lamp to increase the amount of ambient light in your home.
STYLE ACCORDING TO BAGUA
So according to the masters of Feng-shui, in order create good energy in your home you need to adjust feng shui energies according to your home’s ‘bagua’. Basically, bagua is the feng shui energy map of a space, with north being your career, east being your health and so on. The five feng shui elements are wood, earth, fire, metal and water and they all have matching colours. Use the right colours in the right places and you’ll have yourself a very happy home! Here are some of my favourite colour coordinating tips…
Wood represents growth and balance so colours like green and brown are best used in the East bagua area of your home in order to improve your health and balance your family life.
Blue represents water and is good to use in the North, East and Southeast areas as it helps to support the energy of your career growth and nourish the Wood element.
White is representative of metal. Using it in the West bagua area of your home is said to help provide supportive energy for all your creative projects. Not to mention, white is also a great light-reflector so it’s the perfect way to help open up a room when you don’t have a natural light supply.
Yellow is of the Earth element and not surprisingly, it represents happiness! Using this colour in the South bagua area of your home is perfect for promoting happy gatherings and good memories.
ART
Feng shui is all about finding ways to help people become more conscious of how a space relates to them. That means when you’re choosing art, make sure it’s because you love it! I personally love simple art that inspires me or brings me feelings of joy. Try displaying one of your favourite quotes on the wall or even an image of your favourite holiday destination!
FURNITURE
When it comes to furniture, round shapes tend to soften a room and are said to make a space feel happier and more inviting. So ditch the sharp corners and opt for a circular coffee table or a round ottoman instead!
AIR
When talking about Feng shui, one thing that’s always mentioned is AIR. Clean, good quality air is not only good for your health, but your overall wellbeing as well! If you live in an area with fresh air, make sure you open up those windows! Otherwise, bringing a few plants in to the home is an awesome way to improve your air supply and promote relaxation.
Time to get styling! Just remember, the number one most important rule for styling your home is to make sure it’s representative of you. Pick pieces that you make you really feel like you’re in your place and you’ll never want to leave the house again….
