6 Tips For How To Feng Shui Your Bedroom

“Feng shui is about harmonising energy flow in space through arrangements and the incorporation of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water,” says San Francisco-based founder of Ennate Design & Development and feng shui proponent Joanna Lily Wong. “Feng shui is about reading and transforming a space into the happiest, most balanced and prosperous place it can be. I'm a big believer in ‘potential’ and transformation. Transforming the physical can transform the internal.”

“When a location is properly balanced, it will invite happiness and prosperity,” Joanna Lily explains. Promising enough to give the ancient practice a try at least. But there’s more. “Good feng shui can also ‘correct’ a space. A space that's cold and uninviting can become a warm, happy place where people want to socialise. A space that feels stifling can be opened for better ‘chi’ flow, which helps to clear the head.”

When it comes to feng shui for styling a bedroom, there are a few vital rules you must follow to make your room as serene as possible. Firstly, make sure the bedroom door is visible from your bed.

“If possible, you want to put your bed in a location where you can see the door, while in bed, without being directly in front of the door. This is called the ‘command" position’,” says Joanna Lily, “When we are asleep, we are at our most vulnerable. In the ‘command position’, we can see who is entering our room, without being exposed immediately upon entrance.”

Reiko, a feng shui expert and interior designer for over 20 years, agrees, “You also want to be careful to not position your bed in line with the door because this is known as the ‘dead man’s position’.”

“You’ll want to have symmetry, choose calming artwork and either real or artificial plants and flowers, have no electronics except for lighting and keep clutter to a minimum,” the New York-based designer adds. And for the perfect feng shui bedroom colour scheme, “a natural, soothing colour palette is best too, and you’ll really want to accentuate natural light where possible.”

Reiko suggests always having a bedside table and lamp on each side of the bed. “If there isn’t room for another person to comfortably enter and use the bed, then this indicates that you are not allowing space for a satisfying relationship to show up. So, you may need to think about the repositioning of your bed to create space and balance.”

“Your bedroom should be your sanctuary,” Reiko says. “It should be a place that feels warm, cosy and protected from any stress or worries from the outside world. Place a large rug under the bed, invest in sumptuous linens and hang thick draperies that can shut out the world. This creates a ‘yin’ atmosphere, which is good for romance and a solid night’s sleep.” Joanna Lily explains that she takes a soft touch in feng shui-improved bedrooms. “A wood or fabric bed is best. These materials are more calming and grounding. Metal beds are cold, hard, and also conduct electricity, which is not conducive to good rest.”

“While some may find them aesthetically pleasing, ceiling beams can break the smooth flow of energy overhead and potentially aggravate existing health issues,” Reiko reveals, “If your bed is directly under a beam and you can’t move it away, instead consider investing in a new bed with a canopy. The fabric overhead will act as a remedy by energetically separating you from the beam.”

Here's one bedroom rule we can all agree with. "The bedroom is one part of your home that should not be dominated by the outside world," Reiko says, "So, make sure you don’t have a home office setup in your bedrooms with computers, monitors and plugs all over the place, avoid a TV if possible and limit the use of iPads and phones in bed as this is a common sleep disturbance factor. A reduction of stimulation as you wind down for bed is key if you want to truly let go of the day and reconnect with yourself and your partner."

And if even feng shui doesn't help, you might want to try these 10 other tips for a restful night's sleep.

"As tempting as it is to brush clutter under the bed when tidying, this can block the flow of chi energy. And, when energy is blocked, nothing new can show up," Reiko explains. "By cleaning the clutter under your bed, putting things away properly and clearing out your wardrobe, as well as decluttering other parts of your life too, you’ll be opening yourself up to allow new people and new opportunities to enter.

Mirrors present a trickier challenge in a bedroom. “If using mirrors in the bedroom, make sure to place them carefully,” Reiko says, “Ideally, a mirror shouldn’t be facing the bed as this can create bad energy. It’s believed that mirrors bounce energy around the bedroom, which could result in you feeling restless and amplify any worries you may have, even more so if it’s facing the bed.”

For her part, Joanna Lily agrees and prefers to take a strict no-mirror approach in bedrooms. “I do not like to put mirrors in the bedroom. Bedrooms should be restful, and mirrors bounce around energy and light. Mirrors in bedrooms look great, but I've done a lot of experimenting on this and everyone I know sleeps better without a large mirror in the bedroom.”

She does concede that some schools of feng shui thought allow mirrors and that there are some practical reasons for incorporating one into your bedroom scheme. “For practicality reasons, if there is truly no place else to put a mirror, then behind a closet door would be best, or on a wall that you can't see from the bed.”

And one final feng shui mirror tip? Reiko has one. “If possible, we’d also recommend avoiding buying any second-hand or vintage mirrors, as they could hold bad energy from previous owners.” The more you know.

Looking to bring in some prosperity bedroom and practice good feng shui? Browse through our luxury bedroom furniture for ideas and inspiration or explore popular bedroom colour schemes to give your space a refresh.