How to Design a Feng Shui Home Office: 10 Ideas to Optimize Your Space
Creating a feng shui home office is an excellent way to increase your efficiency and productivity in work. Now, more than ever, this space is one of the most essential rooms in a well-functioning home; whether you use it as a dedicated work zone, a quiet space to reflect, or a space to get your creative juices flowing, a feng shui home office helps you to make the most of the space you have.
These tips will help provide you with guidelines on how to create a space that is aesthetically pleasing, inviting, and a seamless place to work.
Feng Shui Home Office Tips
Feng shui design ideas should be taken as suggestions rather than strict rules to follow. Feng shui is all about creating a space that has balance and flow. This sometimes comes down to personal spaces and preferences. These are ideas to help you create a space that feels right to you.
1. Set an Intention for the Room
Setting an intention for a specific room is essential in feng shui design. This helps you to visualize how you want to use the room and rank your priorities accordingly. You should consider how you will use your home office/workspace to accomplish the specific tasks in your work.
Does your job require a quiet and contemplative space or one to get your creative juices flowing? Are you the only one who uses this space, or is it available to others for their tasks? Asking yourself these questions will help you as you make vital decisions regarding furniture choices and placement, colors, and all the other essential details that make the ideal home office.
2. Position the Desk in a Command Position
Feng shui design helps inhabitants feel supported and protected. This is the reason that this design style dictates that the most important piece of furniture in the room be in a command position. This is the position where the user can see the entrances in order to see any threats as they enter the room.
Feng shui home office design advises that the desk is in the command position of the room. This desk position keeps the entrances visible while you are seated at your desk, creating more security and control.
For an ideal command position, place your desk so that you always have a direct view of the entrance while sitting at the desk. Also, make sure that you have something solid behind you, like a solid wall, in order to feel protected rather than exposed. Position the desk out of the direct line of the door and, instead, place it diagonally to the entrance.
Use a mirror in front of a desk if you cannot position your desk to face the door. A mirror will allow you to see anyone entering the room and allow you to feel in control of the space. Placing your desk in front of a window is sometimes necessary because of the room layout. Use a high-backed chair to support you if your room requires this desk placement.
3. Keep Your Work Supported
Working at a desk for long periods of time is grueling on our bodies. Choosing an ergonomic and comfortable desk chair is not just good feng shui; it is common sense. Consider a chair that has an adjustable height and backrest. Choose a chair that lasts, so that you don’t have to replace it quickly. Also, think about the aesthetic quality of the chair. Choose one that supports the overall look and style of the room.
The type of desk you choose has an impact on the way your office looks and how you project yourself. It is best to choose a desk that is solid and will support your work. Wood is a popular and beneficial choice for desks as this nourishes and protects your work.
4. Furniture Placement
Once you have decided on the optimal command position for the desk, you need to consider the placement of the other furniture in the room. Depending on your needs, you may need storage pieces, extra seating and/or work tables. Make sure that your overall furniture placement design is balanced with just enough but not too much furniture, considering the size of the room. Be sure to always allow enough space in between pieces to allow people to walk in between. This will also create a better flow of energy and activity throughout the room.
5. Create Good Organization
Good storage is one of the most necessary aspects of creating a home office with optimal feng shui. Clutter, in the form of files, papers, outdated electronics, and books, is rampant in most home offices and can trap negative energy.
Use storage solutions like shelves, file cabinets, and bookcases to help you get your clutter under control. It is also necessary that you keep only what you need and release what you do not to make your storage more efficient. Above all, you must implement storage solutions and then use them on a regular basis so that the clutter in your office does not build up.
6. Choose the Right Plants
Indoor plants can help to energize a space and make it feel more vibrant and refreshing. Choose a few healthy plants and place them in a place in the room where they will grow and thrive. It is best to choose plants that are easy maintenance as this room is for working rather than a plant nursery. Some of the best choices for a feng shui home office are peace lilies, snake plants, philodendrons, and money trees. These plants are all easy to care for and thrive in a variety of conditions.
Be sure to remove a plant if it is sick or dying. Unhealthy or dead plants bring negative energy into a room. Remove it from the room until it has recovered its health or until you need to discard it.
7. Wall Art
Use wall art to help symbolize different types of energy and goals. Use wall art that displays serene images like quiet landscapes if you want to bring calm energy to your office. You can also use images to symbolize new directions in your career by using wall maps or wall art with quotes or pictures that inspire you to try new things.
8. Decide on the Lighting
Creating layers of lighting is foundational for creating a comfortable and efficient home office. Begin with natural light, as this light brings beneficial energy into feng shui offices. Create window coverings that allow privacy but also open enough to bring in health-giving Vitamin D. This will energize you and allow you to create your best work.
Task lighting is essential for specific jobs in home offices, including writing, studying, and drawing. Using the right task light like a desk lamp will reduce eye strain and illuminate your workspace to produce your best work.
Ambient lighting is not strictly necessary in home offices, but it creates a diffused layer of light that is relaxing and attractive. This includes overhead lights, floor lamps, and wall sconces.
9. Home Office Colors
In choosing home office colors, you should consider your preferences, your line of work, and the location of your home office on a bagua map. Use colors that inspire you and help create the kind of atmosphere that allows you to produce your best work. Blue, green, and black are good colors if your work involves deep study and concentration. Shades of white or orange are helpful if your work is more creative in nature.
Consider the location of your home office according to a bagua map. Use a color that corresponds to this location in order to help energize this particular area of your life.
10. Add in the Five Elements
Feng shui experts consider the five elements of wood, metal, water, earth, and fire as fundamental aspects of the natural world. You can incorporate symbols that represent the five elements into your home office to create a balanced design. You can also choose to highlight certain elements depending on the type of energy that you want to create in your home office.
- Wood – The wood element promotes vitality, growth, and flexibility. Represent the wood element with shades of green and brown, vertical lines and shapes, houseplants, and wall art with trees, roots, or floral patterns.
- Fire – The fire element symbolizes vitality, energy, and passion. Use shades of red and orange to represent fire energy. Other fire symbols include candles, triangular shapes, electric lights, dragons, phoenixes and the sun.
- Earth – Add the earth element to your home office to promote security, stability, and nourishment. Use shades of earthy browns and yellows to promote this energy. Also, use square and rectangular-shaped objects and furniture, pottery, and calcite crystals.
- Metal – The metal element represents precision, organization, and clarity. Use shades of white and gray to represent metal energy. You can also use round objects, metallic decor and sculptures, and wind chimes to represent this element.
- Water – The water element represents tranquility, prosperity, and abundance. You can signify the water element by using shades of deep blue, gray, and black. Represent the water element with water features like aquariums and fountains, pictures of water, wavy lines, and mirrors.