The Basic Feng Shui Principles You Should Know About Before You Design Your Home

Ever wondered how to bring more harmony to your interiors? Feng Shui could be the answer. In simple terms, the ancient Chinese practice involves making intentional choices with your furniture placement to create a more balanced home with a positive flow of energy, but the underlying principles go far deeper than that.

Sound a bit far-fetched? The Eastern concept is snubbed by some, but this millennia-old art has a strong following, with thousands of trained consultants laying claim to its many benefits. These certified professionals are dedicated in their work to help optimize clients' homes to create more peaceful and prosperous environments.

You don't need to hire a Feng Shui consultant to apply the idea in your home, though. To find out more about Feng Shui principles and origins, we spoke to experts, compiling their insights into this handy guide so that you can put this ancient art into practice. With these key tenets under your belt, you can apply Feng Shui to your space with confidence.

What is Feng Shui?

To understand Feng Shui, it helps to look at the name itself. The word "Feng" translates to "Wind" while "Shui" means "Water". Also central to the concept is "chi", or energy — a force that's influenced by the movement of wind and the presence of water.

"Feng Shui is focused on the principle that Chi is dissipated by the wind (Feng), and collected by the water (Shui), and that gentle wind and clear water bring good health and good harvest," explains Laili Gonzalez, Feng Shui consultant and founder of The Meazured Life. "The key principle of Feng Shui is understanding our physical environment and the natural elements so that we can harness, or tap into, the forces of nature that will promote our well-being. It is done with the understanding that Chi — a life force energy v is meant to flow, and that we are meant to flow with it."

We apply Feng Shui to our homes because it's the primary living space that we have control over. It influences how we arrange our spaces, position our furniture, and choose our designs in order to promote a positive flow of chi, covering everything from the best Feng Shui plants to Feng Shui sofa placement.

"While Feng Shui has been used in the Far East for over 5000 years, over the centuries it has been refined, disseminated and adapted to reflect modern life, high rise homes and businesses around the world," notes Feng Shui expert and interiors therapist, Suzanne Roynon. "Many households use Feng Shui to increase their happiness, achievements, health, and of course wealth, while big-name companies routinely use Feng Shui to boost reputation and profitability."

What Are the Key Feng Shui Principles?

There are some key pillars of Feng Shui that need to be understood in order to apply the practice to the home. These are Chi (energy), bagua, the command position, and the five elements of Feng Shui.

Chi

In Feng Shui, you'll often see or hear references to Chi (sometimes written as qi), a term used to describe energy flow.

"Chi, or lifeforce energy, is the flow of positive energy around the world which we want to encourage into a home to support the people living there," explains Suzanne. "Feng Shui is used to activate the Chi and uses the directions of a compass to identify the nine energy centres in a home, each of which represents a different aspect of life."

Bagua

As Suzanne alludes to, Feng Shui separates the home into nine different areas based upon different compass points. Each one corresponds to a different element or aspect of life. This is known as the Bagua Feng Shui map.

"The Bagua map is a tool used to understand the home in greater detail, and connect the various aspects of our home to the various aspects of our lives, such as career, health, relationships, family, and so on," says Laili.

Suzanne explains how the map is shown on a 3 x 3 grid. "This is easier to use with regularly shaped properties, although the original Bagua was shown as an Octagon," she says. "The areas (individual ‘guas’ in the Bagua) represent nine key areas of life." These are:

Center – Health/Wellbeing

North – Career

Northeast – Knowledge/spirituality/learning

East – Family/the past

Southeast – Wealth/blessings/abundance

South – Fame/reputation

Southwest – Relationships/love/self love

West – New beginnings/children/opportunities

Northwest – Travel/helpful people

Command position

When discussing good Feng Shui for the home office or the best configuration of a bedrooom, consultants often refer to the Feng Shui "command position".

"The ‘Command Position’ is most often discussed in terms of the position of a bed or a desk," says Suzanne. "The principle is that the occupant of the bed or desk should be able to see the door of the room and have a strong wall at their back. This ensures they feel secure and in control of their environment which allows them to sleep or work without feeling vulnerable."

Suzanne Roynon

Suzanne Roynon is an Interiors Therapy expert and member of the International Feng Shui Guild. She shares hints and tips to create a home and office space to love and propel you forward rather than keeping you tied to the past. In addition to her Interiors Therapy and Feng Shui consultancy and teaching, Suzanne is the author of award-winning bestseller ‘Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks Your Relationship’.

What Are the Five Elements of Feng Shui?

Alongside these core principles, Feng Shui uses natural elements to further balance and enhance the energy of a home. As you may expect, the five elements incorporate earth, water, and fire. Rather than air and spirit, however (which you often hear about in other philosophies), Feng Shui's elements include metal and wood.

Each element also has associated shades, which can be used to decide on the right Feng Shui living room colors or bedroom hues for decorating. Here's a breakdown of each one.

Earth

The earth element can be interpreted as natural stones and crystals. "It signifies stability, security, groundedness, and trustworthiness," says Laili. "It is represented by the colors beige, terracotta, lighter browns and yellow, and is strengthened by fire and reduced by metal and wood."

"It provides stability, but used in the wrong place or in too great an amount can cause stagnation and inability to change," adds Suzanne.

Metal

According to Suzanne, this refers to the literal metal weight used in varying amounts based on the size of your property. "It cuts through stuck energy and is a powerful problem solver; every home would benefit from a metal remedy in the Northeast during 2025," says Suzanne. "Used inappropriately, however, and it can create stress and insecurity."

Metal signifies authority, justice, loyalty, focus and clarity. "It is represented by metallic colors like grey, white and pastels," says Laili. "It is strengthened by earth and reduced or destroyed by water and fire."

Water

Suzanne notes how use of the water element in the home is very specific in Feng Shui. "It has to be in excess of 1 litre or 1.75 pints and constantly moving," she says. "You should only use it if your home has been expertly assessed, as putting water where it is not needed can lead to health problems, infidelity and loss of job/income."

Used properly, however, and water signifies wisdom, financial prosperity, and intelligence. "It is represented by blue, black and indigo and is linked to the kidneys," Laili says. "It is strengthened by metal and reduced or destroyed by wood and earth."

Wood

In Feng Shui, wood is represented by living plants, furniture and wood flooring (the Feng Shui flooring recommended by experts). "It signifies vitality, growth, benevolence and education, and is represented by the color green and dark browns," says Laili. She addds that it can be strengthened by water, reduced by fire and destroyed by metal.

Be careful with your placement of decor and accessories representing the wood element, however. "The wrong location, spiky plants, or too many of them can create a sense of being trapped and unable to move forward," warns Suzanne.

Fire

The fire element is strengthened by wood, and reduced by earth and water. As Suzanne notes, it's the only element which is activated by color alone.

"Reds, hot pinks, warm orange, burgundy, and claret are all fire colors," she explains. "They will increase the energy and vibrancy around you when used correctly, but have the opposite effect in the wrong place or when too much is used – leading to burnout and hot tempers." A Feng Shui color reading can help your discover the optimal way to decorate with this shade.

Laili Kafi Gonzalez

After nearly two decades of working in interior design, Laili discovered and implemented Feng Shui into her own life. She is now a certified Feng Shui practitioner and a member of the International Feng Shui Guild, working as a consultant to help others apply the practice to their own homes.

FAQs

What Are the Most Important Feng Shui Rules to Apply in the Home? 

Looking for an easier way to apply to Feng Shui to your home? If you're still getting the hang of the core principles, there are some key rules to follow according to the experts. From living room Feng Shui rules to the best shapes to incorporate, here's what you need to know.

"At the most basic level, use the Bagua and your smartphone compass to identify the nine Feng Shui areas of your home, so you are aware of what you have in each space," says Suzanne. "Ask yourself whether it supports the essential energy (ie photos of your significant other in the southwest relationship area) or works against it (credit card bills in the southeast wealth area)."

Laili also emphasizes the importance of having the right shapes in our decor. Clean lines and symmetry are preferred in Feng Shui as this helps to balance the room's energy, so having a space that is square or rectangular is key.

"Having rooms that are not oddly shaped (think curves or angles) and having a staircase that is not directly opposite the entry is a good idea," she says. "Also, ensure your bedrooms have ample wall space to place beds so they're neither directly opposite a door nor underneath a window or angled ceiling."

Lastly, you should keep your house clean, tidy, and organized to improve the flow of Chi. "Everything in its place is Feng Shui 101," says Suzanne. Decluttering for Feng Shui is one of the easiest things you can do that will immediately benefit your home, both aesthetically and spiritually.

What Is Bad Feng Shui in a House?

Applying this ancient art to your home isn't always easy, but there are some Feng Shui mistakes that experts always notice that you ought to keep in mind.

"A common mistake we often see people making is placing too much focus on such things as the position of our bed or mirror, and less focus on where our home faces, the geography of the land we’re on and near, and the shape of our home itself," says Laili. "While something like the command position is beneficial, it's not ultimately what will define the energy of your home." These points are of course more difficult to change, but if you're moving home it's certainly something to keep in mind.

There are some bad Feng Shui practices that you do have more control over, however. "A messy or cluttered home will always be bad for Feng Shui," says Suzanne. "In my experience Feng Shui magnifies whatever is around it, so holding onto damaged or broken items will only lead to more of the same."

Feng Shui mirror placement is also important. "Don’t have a mirror directly facing the front door as this bounces positive energy straight back out," Suzanne notes. "Also, if you can see the back windows or door of your home in a straight line from the entrance, you may find energy is racing through and you’re missing out on positive energy. Close a door or add a piece of furniture or a large plant to divert the flow of Chi into other areas of the home."

This is by no means an exhaustive guide, but the basic principles of Feng Shui will help guide you on your journey to creating a more balanced and harmonious home. "Remember, every home is unique," says Suzanne. "If you want to reap the full benefits of Feng Shui, get expert advice from an accredited practitioner and book a video walkabout of your home so they can give immediate advice."

Feng Shui might seem like a minefield at first, but once you get to grips with this ancient practice it becomes second nature. Follow the advice above and your home will be filled with peace and prosperity in no time.