Home Design & Decorating Feng Shui

The Basic Principles of Feng Shui

Tips for creating balance in life and at home

Feng shui's meaning can be broken down into the Chinese words "feng," meaning wind, and "shui," meaning water. The concept is derived from an ancient poem that talks about human life being connected to and flowing with the environment around it.

In Asian culture, this philosophy is called the Tao, which translates to mean “the way." Taoism is the way of nature, and all the basic rules of feng shui reflect nature. You can incorporate feng shui into your own home to create balance and flow, both in your home's design and in your overall life.

Below, learn about the principles of feng shui and how to apply them to your life and home.

What Is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is the practice of arranging pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world. This is what it means to feng shui your home. The goal is to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment.

Principles of Feng Shui

In feng shui design, there are four main principles to know:

  • Chi: Chi is the vital life force or energy. Chi is a major component to consider when it comes to designing your home with feng shui.
  • Commanding position: This refers to the spot in a room farthest from the door (but not in direct line with it). The commanding position designates where you'll want to spend the most time in a space. You will want to have a clear line of sight to the door from the commanding position to have the best feng shui possible.
  • Bagua: Bagua is the feng shui energy map. It is a Chinese word that means "eight areas." Each of these areas relates to a particular life area.
  • Five elements: The five elements of feng shui are earth, metal, wind, water, and fire. When incorporating feng shui into your home, you will often want to balance these five elements.

Chi in Feng Shui

Chi refers to vital life force or energy. It is an important aspect of designing a room with feng shui. A large room with little furniture can cause an overwhelm of chi, making you feel lost.

On the other hand, a small room that’s packed with clutter doesn’t give chi space to move, resulting in feelings of stagnation.

The Commanding Position

In feng shui, the commanding position is the spot in a room that is the farthest from the door and not in direct line with it. It puts you diagonal to the door. And ideally, you should have a clear line of sight to the door.

The commanding position is where you want to spend most of your time in a room. Some of the basic rules of feng shui suggest you determine this dominant position in the room and then place your bed, your desk, or your stove here if possible.

These three parts of your house are critical because each represents an essential part of your life. The bed stands for you, the desk is an extension of your career, and the stove represents your wealth and nourishment.

bed positions

The Spruce / Nusha Ashjaee

The Feng Shui Bagua Map

A bagua is the feng shui energy map superimposed on the floor plan of your home. The Chinese word "bagua" translates to mean “eight areas.”

Each area relates to a different life circumstance, such as family, wealth, or career, and each one has corresponding shapes, colors, seasons, numbers, and earthly elements. At the center of the bagua—a ninth area—is you, representing your overall wellness.

There are several feng shui schools of thought, and all of them use baguas. However, some apply the bagua differently.

The Western and BTB (Black Sect) schools usually lay the bagua so that the knowledge, career, and helpful people areas align with the front door. The Flying Stars and other classical schools might orient the bagua based on the energy of the year or the compass.

feng shui bagua map

The Spruce / Nusha Ashjaee

The Bagua Areas

The easiest way to incorporate the bagua into your life and to feng shui your home is to identify one to three areas that need the most attention. Do not attempt to work on all areas at once. To strengthen your energy or improve flow in those areas, incorporate feng shui tips in that particular area.

Family (Zhen)

  • Representing: Family, new beginnings
  • Shape: Columnar, rectangular
  • Colors: Green, blues, teal
  • Season: Spring
  • Number: 4
  • Element: Yang wood

Wealth (Xun)

  • Representing: Wealth, abundance, prosperity
  • Shape: Columnar, rectangular
  • Colors: Purple
  • Season: Spring
  • Number: 5
  • Element: Yin wood

Health (Tai Qi)

  • Representing: Overall wellness, the center
  • Shape: Flat, square
  • Colors: Brown, orange, yellow
  • Season: Transitions between the seasons
  • Number: 5
  • Element: Earth

Helpful People (Qian)

  • Representing: Helpful people, benefactors, travel
  • Shape: Circular, spherical
  • Colors: Gray, metallics
  • Season: Autumn
  • Number: 6
  • Element: Yang metal

Children (Dui)

  • Representing: Children, completion, joy
  • Shape: Circular, spherical
  • Colors: White, metallics
  • Season: Autumn
  • Number: 7
  • Element: Yin metal

Knowledge (Gen)

  • Representing: Knowledge, self-cultivation, skillfulness
  • Shape: Flat, square
  • Colors: Dark blue
  • Season: Transitions between the seasons
  • Number: 8
  • Element: Yang earth

Fame (Li)

  • Representing: Fame, reputation, passion, visibility
  • Shape: Triangle, pointy
  • Colors: Red
  • Season: Summer
  • Number: 9
  • Element: Fire

Career (Kan)

  • Representing: Career, path in life
  • Shape: Wavy, curvy
  • Colors: Black
  • Season: Winter
  • Number: 1
  • Element: Water

Partnerships (Kun)

  • Representing: Partnerships, marriage, self-care
  • Shape: Flat, square
  • Colors: Pink
  • Season: Transitions between the seasons
  • Number: 2
  • Element: Yin earth

The Five Elements

elements map

The Spruce / Nusha Ashjaee

The five elements of feng shui—earth, metal, water, wood, and fire—come from the Taoist tradition. The elements are interrelated life phases that work together to create a complete system. Typically, when you feng shui your home, you balance these five elements.

Incorporate the five elements of feng shui into your life and home by defining where to begin. Choose one to three areas you’d like to improve, then strengthen the energy by adding the suggested colors or shapes in that room.

For example, your bagua shows that your bedroom aligns with your overall wellness and the place where you rejuvenate. It ties into the earth element. Consider ways to use feng shui colors associated with the earth as well as decorate with ceramic or clay pottery, stones, or crystals.

After those initial improvements have been made, focus on other rooms or areas of your life. Observe the elements of each room, and then bring the corresponding feng shui items. The intent is to bring positive energy to those rooms, areas of your life, and ultimately your entire home.

Earth

  • Qualities: Grounded, self-care, stable
  • Shape: Flat, square
  • Colors: Brown, orange, yellow
  • Season: Transitions between the seasons
  • Areas: Wellness, knowledge, partnerships 

Metal

  • Qualities: Efficient, precise, beauty 
  • Shape: Circular, spherical
  • Colors: White, metallics
  • Season: Autumn
  • Areas: Helpful people, children

Water

  • Qualities: Downward, flowing, shifting
  • Shape: Wavy, curvy
  • Colors: Black
  • Season: Winter
  • Area: Career

Wood

  • Qualities: Expansive, vitality, upward
  • Shape: Columnar, rectangular
  • Colors: Green, blues
  • Season: Spring
  • Areas: Family, wealth

Fire

  • Qualities: Passion, illuminating, brilliant
  • Shape: Triangle, pointy
  • Colors: Red
  • Season: Summer
  • Area: Fame

Tips to Feng Shui Your Home

  • Decorate with plants: Feng shui plants, especially ones with rounder and softer leaves such as the money plant, nourish your personal energy.
  • Consider positions: Keep your stove, desk, or bed placement in the commanding position—this is the spot farthest from the door but not in direct alignment with it. You may want to consider your home direction as well.
  • Balance colors: Decide which bagua areas you want to improve and choose corresponding colors to strengthen that energy. For example, introduce green for family (zhen) or purple for wealth (xun).
  • Declutter: Excessive clutter causes blocked chi. Let go of excess items that take up valuable space.
  • Keep traffic flow open: Passageways like doors and halls should be kept open so your route is clear. Avoid placing furniture at the entrance of a room.
  • Fix broken things: Fixing anything that may be broken in your home will improve the chi of a space. Broken mirrors are especially important to fix or replace.
  • Use the five elements: Using the five elements (earth, metal, water, wood, and fire) is one of the best ways to feng shui your home. Make sure to have a solid balance of each element and incorporate them in the appropriate spaces of your home.
  • Have a strong entryway: The entryway is where energy enters your space and life. Create a space that is warm, bright, and clutter-free.
  • Maximize natural light: Rooms with ample sunlight enhance wellbeing and vitality. Position windows to stream in light or use mirrors to amplify natural light (although beware of positioning with furniture!).
FAQ
  • What does feng shui literally mean?

    “Feng” means wind and “shui” means water. The phrase references an ancient poem about human life being connected to and flowing with the environment.

  • What is bad feng shui for a house?

    Bad feng shui includes blocking doorways or entrances, as that blocks chi from flowing. A cluttered space similarly causes stagnation. In your bedroom, having your bed facing away from the door or directly in front of it, rather than in the commanding position, is bad feng shui.

  • How is feng shui used in interior design?

    Feng shui don'ts include keeping sick or dead plants, having pointy plants, decorating with broken or obscured mirrors, using under-the-bed storage, having a bed without a headboard, having blocked doors, and more.


    Feng shui dos include keeping your home clutter-free, incorporating the right colors, using the right materials (bamboo, crystal, glass, etc.), letting in as much natural light as possible, growing feng shui plants, and more.

  • What is the purpose of feng shui?

    The purpose of feng shui is to establish harmony between an individual and their environment. Feng shui creates balance and flow, both in your home's design and in your overall life.

  • What are the feng shui colors?

    There are different colors associated with each of the five elements in feng shui. Brown, orange, and yellow correspond with earth. White and metallics go with metal. Black corresponds with water. Green and blue correspond with wood. And finally, red goes with fire.