The Feng Shui secrets for harmonious living

by Sara Costi

What’s Feng Shui?

Feng Shui (which translates into wind-water) is an ancient Chinese practice and philosophy. Its foundational principle is that everything in the universe – from a flowing river to the top of a mountain – is always changing. Chi (the vital breath) is the energy that continuously comes together and is scattered around, shaping and animating every living being.

Feng Shui is the art of understanding the Chi energy flow to find an intrinsic harmony within the forces on earth and in the universe. These forces can be in perfect harmony in one place and wreak havoc in another.

In architecture, the principles of this five-thousand-year-old art help design settings, choose materials and colours and arrange objects to change the energy flow and create harmony. This way, Feng Shui has a positive impact on the personal energy of the people living in such settings that stand out for their simplicity, health and safety, natural lighting and materials.

Practising Feng Shui means improving the atmosphere in your home to transform it into a source of energy and wellbeing. Energy must enter from the front door and circulate freely in every room.

Feng Shui creates the best conditions in any building for Chi to circulate freely, even in spaces crammed with objects, dark corners, and rooms without windows.

Therefore, Feng Shui is a different way of looking at the environment that surrounds us. The shapes of a territory or a landscape are not something static on which we develop our projects or that we exploit to meet our needs. No, they are shapes created by this flow of energy and can influence the life that surrounds them.

Our habitual mood depends upon the mood in which we maintain our habitual entourage.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Feng Shui in architecture

According to Feng Shui, the ideal home should face the sun, be protected by a mountain or a hill, have an open space in front of it, and, if possible, a view over water. A harmonious home built on a square or rectangular plot of land allows Chi to flow freely, whereas asymmetrical “L” or triangular shapes can create imbalance. According to Feng Shui, a home with harmonious shapes provides more stability for those who live in it.

Whether building a new home, restoring an existing one, or decorating, green architecture perfectly complements Feng Shui. Choosing the right materials and colours, as well as the arrangement of the furnishings (both indoors and outdoors), helps reduce harmful substances, save energy, and optimise the atmosphere, thereby promoting wellbeing.

Whether building a new home, restoring an existing one, or decorating, green architecture perfectly complements Feng Shui. Choosing the right materials and colours, as well as the arrangement of the furnishings (both indoors and outdoors), helps reduce harmful substances, save energy, and optimise the atmosphere, thereby promoting wellbeing.

How to choose the right colours according to Feng Shui

Each one of the five Feng Shui elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – has unique energy expressed in specific colours. Green is associated with wood, spring, and growth, whereas white and silver are associated with metal. These colours are calming and help promote introspection. Blue is the colour of water. In lighter and pastel shades, it promotes calmness and relaxation. Yellow – the colour of the sun – is associated with earth and symbolises stability and longevity. Its warmer and softer shades are particularly indicated for the central areas of the house, such as the kitchen and living room. Red is the colour of fire and is said to bring good luck. It also represents vital strength, vigour, instinct, and passion, and it’s the colour that best promotes Chi. However, it should be limited to fabrics and small objects because an imbalanced use of this colour that brings excitement can have a negative impact.

How to feng shui your living room

The living room is where a family gathers and guests are entertained. That’s why it should be a relaxing room that promotes conversation. Cramming the room with ornaments or turning on fluorescent tubes and lights right above the heads of the people sitting in it are a big no-no.

The space between the furnishings should never be too small. If you have an L-shaped living room, make sure not to place too many objects or furnishings in the narrower part of the room.

Plants, reflecting objects, lamps and lights in the darker corners can also help Chi flow better.

And what if the kitchen and living room are in the same open space? In that case, it’s advisable to separate the kitchen even with a partially open wall. This way, you not only maintain the visual contact with the living room but also add a lighter and more luminous touch to the entire setting.

How to feng shui your bedroom

The quality of sleep is crucial for a person’s health and the harmony of a home. The bed should never be located under or next to large windows. It’s also important not to hinder the free flow of Chi by cramming boxes, shoes, and other objects under the bed. The headboard should lean against a wall and never be directly aligned with the door.

Pastel shades on the bedroom walls and soft lighting create a relaxing and cosy atmosphere and allow you to benefit from Chi circulation to the fullest. Harsh overhead lighting, on the other hand, can compromise the room’s balance.

How to feng shui your bathroom

The bathroom is like a small domestic spa where to relax and pamper oneself. That’s why it should be designed putting functionality first. Mirrors are essential as they double the positive aspects of water. The use of natural lighting together with the artificial light of candles is also beneficial.

Although a bathroom can be located on any side of the home, it should never be at the centre (negative according to Feng Shui). Moreover, the bathroom door should never open directly to the kitchen, bedroom or living room. However, should this arrangement not be possible, you can keep the door closed to prevent losing the beneficial effect of Chi circulation.

How to feng shui your outdoor spaces

Plants and flowers – both planted and potted – symbolise growth, renewal, strength and vitality. They promote healthy Chi and can have invigorating and calming effects. They can also help strengthen and protect a site. Trees, hedges, bushes, and flowers of different sizes and hues help add colour and shape to a garden while creating a harmonious and relaxing balance.

However, neglected plants, tall grass, and dead leaves can interrupt the flow of positive energy. That’s why your greenery should always be well-kept.

Water plays a primary role both indoors and outdoors since its revitalising qualities nourish and enhance Chi. A decorative aquarium with healthy plants in the garden, a gushing fountain, fresh flowers in a vase, or a fountain in an atrium can revive a slow or blocked Chi flow even in a room or the entire building.

Casalgrande Padana’s porcelain stoneware floorings and coverings are the perfect starting point to decorate your home in a Feng Shui-inspired style. These tiles are perfect for living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and even outdoor spaces and allow you to create visual continuity or contrasts. Casalgrande Padana’s wood-effect or stone-effect tiles perfectly combine colour and design. Their warm, enveloping shades, veining and natural appearance marked by the slow passing of time conceal stories that inspire new ideas.

Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware tiles are made exclusively using natural raw materials without paint, plastic or harmful substances. They are antibacterial, non-allergic, fully recyclable and fire-resistant: the perfect tiles to create beautiful harmony and revive the positive energy of your home.