Feng Shui Room by Room: The Bedroom
Photo by Spacejoy
Why feng shui for the bedroom?
When someone is new to feng shui, we almost always suggest starting with the bedroom. Your bedroom is one of the most important areas of your home because it’s the space where you probably spend the most time and it’s where you go to rest and recharge. Making changes in the bedroom can also improve your sleep, which can have a huge impact on your life and enhance your overall well being. The bedroom is also connected to your intimate relationships, so this is a great place to focus on if you want to strengthen that aspect of your life.
Here are a few of our favorite feng shui tips for the bedroom:
Feng shui tips for your bed
One of the most important things to pay attention to when it comes to the feng shui of your bedroom is your bed position. Ideally, your bed should be in the commanding position, which represents being aware of any opportunities or challenges that may be coming towards you in life. When your bed is in command, you can see the door to your bedroom while you’re laying in bed or resting back against the headboard. The door represents a portal of qi, and is how energy and opportunities flow into your space. You’ll also want to make sure you’re not directly in line with the door. In most cases, the bed will be located diagonally across from the door.
When it comes to the bed itself, we would suggest avoiding a metal bed if possible, but in general any type of bed is fine. Most importantly, make sure you have a solid headboard that’s securely attached to the bed. It should feel strong and supportive, like a mountain behind you.
It’s also a good idea to take a look at what you’re storing under the bed. It’s fine to use that space for storage if you need to, but we would recommend sticking to soft, energetically neutral items here. Try to avoid anything emotionally charged or items that hold a lot of active energy, like books or exercise equipment.
On a related note, what items do you have near the bed? Do your surroundings inspire rest and relaxation? Or are you looking at things that make you feel sad, distracted, or like you should be working? Notice that everything around you has different qualities of qi, and use that awareness to create a supportive, restful space. If you have a desk, television, or exercise equipment in your bedroom, for example, what can you do to soften that active energy? If you can’t move these things to another room, you may want to try adding a beautiful scarf or room divider to visually separate this more active area from your sleeping area.
What else is in the bedroom?
In general, try to avoid having too much heavy furniture in the bedroom, as this can make it harder for energy to flow through the space. Make sure you can move through the room easily. If you have room to move, qi (life force energy) has room to move as well.
To add more stability, you can bring in the energy of earth with a square or rectangular rug. This could be a small, square rug that you step onto when you get out of bed, or a bigger rug that fills more of the space and pulls the room together. The square shape represents earth energy, which can be especially helpful to introduce when you’re feeling anxious or ungrounded, or if you’re having a hard time sleeping.
In BTB feng shui, we would also recommend placing a healthy houseplant in the bedroom to support growth and health. As with any plant, consider the conditions in your room and make sure the plant you choose will be able to thrive there. A well cared for houseplant is a great way to support the health and vitality of the people who reside in that bedroom.
We would also encourage you to notice the quality of light in your bedroom. Soft lighting is best to encourage a restful environment, and it’s important to have curtains or shades that block light so that you can create a dark space for sleeping.
Feng shui bedroom tips for relationships
If you are in a romantic partnership, or you would like to be in one, it’s also best to avoid a twin bed that doesn’t comfortably fit two people. Additionally, it’s a good idea to avoid a bed that has two separate box springs or mattresses, which creates an energetic divide between partners.
You’ll also want to make sure that there is space on both sides of the bed as well as a nightstand on each side. The nightstands don’t have to be matching, but they should be similar in size. Both people should have access to similar resources on their side of the bed, like storage space and lighting. If one person has to squeeze against the wall to get into bed or doesn’t have a place to store their nighttime essentials, consider how this could be a metaphor for the relationship itself.
If you live in a smaller space, there may not be room to have space around the bed or to place nightstands on both sides. If this is the case, do the best with what you have. Maybe you can trade sides with your partner occasionally, move the bed just a few inches to open up space on one side, or install wall sconces if you don’t have room for nightstands with table lamps.
Another way to apply feng shui principles in your bedroom to support your relationship is to place a round mirror above the headboard and visualize you and your partner together in this mirror. The circular shape represents continuity and can help create more harmony within your relationship. This mirror should be large enough that it can reflect both partners. Also, it’s important to make sure the mirror is fastened properly to the wall so that there’s no danger of it falling down.
Best feng shui colors for the bedroom
It can also be fun to play with feng shui-inspired colors to support certain intentions for your bedroom. This doesn’t mean you have to paint your walls, although you certainly can if that feels right to you! You can also introduce color in smaller ways that work with your style, like throw pillows, bedding, or artwork.
Here are a few of our favorite feng shui colors for the bedroom:
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Peach is a great color when you want to attract a new partner. The color peach holds the energy of new love, and it can make you irresistible to romantic partners. This means you’ll want to use it wisely, especially if you have strong intention-setting abilities! After you find your partner, it’s a good idea to paint the room a different color — unless you want to continue attracting more romantic prospects!
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Soft green and teal are related to the wood element and are very supportive colors for healing. Make sure you’re choosing softer, soothing tones for the bedroom, as bright greens and teals can be energizing.
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Deep red and burgundy represent passion and romance. Red is connected to the fire element, and like fire, it has the power to transform. You can use red with the intention of increasing passion in your relationship, or to encourage more inspiration in your life in general. If red and burgundy aren’t your style, you can also try eggplant. Eggplant can invite more depth and elegance into your relationship, and shades of purple are also connected to abundance. Note: You may want to be cautious about using darker colors if you have a tendency towards depression, since the darkness could lower your qi.
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Yellow is connected to the earth element, which has a grounding, stable energy. This is a great color to work with if you’ve been feeling a bit anxious. Yellow is also cheerful and can help to lift your spirits. You may want to play around with different shades, like a warm sunflower yellow or soft buttery yellow.
We hope this inspires you to look at your bedroom through fresh feng shui eyes. As always, please don’t feel like you need to make all of the above changes. Choose one or two ideas that feel relevant to you, and make those changes with a lot of intention and heart.