The living room is one of the most important rooms in the house. In this article, I will use the word “living room” to refer to the living room in general, because in our current homes it is rare that the dining room is not in the same room as the TV and sofa area. Here are my 6 tips for a feng shui living room, i.e. a living room that respects the circulation of chi, that harmonizes energies and creates a space of resourcefulness.
The yin yang balance in the feng shui living room
As I explained in my article on yin yang balance, in a house there are rooms that are considered yin and rooms that are considered yang. The living room is more yang because it is a reception room. It is usually the room where people entertain, whether it is friends or occasional visitors.
To respect the general balance of the house, this room should be the largest. This is usually the case. For example, the master suite should not be 50m2 while the living room is only 35m2.
In this room, if the surface area is comfortable, you can afford “yang” furniture such as a large buffet or a long table. In general, we try to proportion the size of the furniture to the size of the room.
Even if it is a yang room most of the time, in the evening, during the week, when you are with your family, it must be able to become yin: a living room is also a place where you can rest, calm down, and take some time for yourself. I advise managing this with the lighting and with the curtains. The ideal is to have several sources of artificial light, and, if possible, with a dimmer. This way, by leaving only one lamp on, for example, you can create an intimate and cosy space in the evening, even if the room is large and very bright during the day.
The layout in the feng shui living room
In feng shui, if there is one recommendation that always comes back, it is to check that the chi circulates freely with ease… but be careful, not too fast either!
This starts with the size and number of pieces of furniture. If your room is small, make sure you choose furniture that will allow space for circulation. If your room is too large, don’t leave large empty spaces under the pretext that you like the “uncluttered” style because too much emptiness is not good either, the chi is lost and the energy is not conducive.
The next step is the arrangement of the furniture. If you have respected the proportionality, it will be quite easy to position the furniture so that the circulation is fluid. Do the exercise yourself: walk around the room and check that you don’t have to go round a pedestal table to switch on the TV. Then imagine a current of air or water: does the flow become a tornado or a torrent because there are no obstacles to limit its force? This visualization allows you to find the most fluid arrangement with simple common sense.
The place of the sofa in the feng shui living room
Let’s focus on the centrepiece of the living room: the sofa. It has a particular importance in feng shui because the more time you spend in a place, the more sensitive you will be to the energies there. The sofa is often the favourite place in the evening, whether you are listening to music or watching TV series (remember that if you want to preserve your sleep, you should not put a TV in the bedroom).
It is generally advisable to place the sofa against a wall, especially when the analysis of the school of form has revealed a lack of “turtle” and therefore of support. If this is not possible, then it is advisable to place green plants or a screen behind to limit the feeling of lack of protection.
Ideally, it should also be placed in the room in such a way that when you sit down, you receive the energy linked to one of its favourable orientations (remember, we have 4 of them, and it depends on our Kua number).
In a family home, it is difficult to find a place that suits everyone. So the parents are preferred. And if they are not in the same group (East, West), perhaps a corner sofa would solve the problem?
The fireplace in the feng shui living room
I have a fireplace in my main home and I also have one in my second home. For me, it is a great source of comfort and calm. Of course, as you may have guessed, the fireplace represents the fire element in feng shui. We’ll see in the next paragraph if this is a good or bad thing.
The best thing is to have a fireplace with an insert. Indeed, when it is not in use, if you don’t have a plate to “close” the flue, it could represent a way for the chi to escape the living room.
In terms of decoration, a mirror can be placed above the hearth, either hung on the wall or placed on the shelf. The mirror represents the water element, so choose its size according to the area.
Nurturing energy in the feng shui living room
Here we go. It is impossible to do a feng shui layout without talking about the sectors and therefore the cardinal orientation of the room. The wu xing will always be referred to when choosing colours, materials and shapes.
So, once the bagua has been placed, you know which sectors are included in your living room and therefore whether you need red or pink (fire), grey (metal), blue (water), yellow (earth) or green (wood).
My living room has 3 zones: South, South East and East. I was therefore lucky enough to be able to position my fireplace right in the southern sector, whose element is fire. This zone is particularly well nourished. In addition, the South-East zone begins roughly where I store the logs, next to the fireplace. So this zone, whose element is wood, is also naturally nourished.
This is why, incidentally, it is always good to anticipate as much as possible when building or planning work. It is better to do the feng shui expertise at a time when it is still possible to arrange things in the best possible way.
To conclude on colours and materials: once these have been defined, make sure you respect the yin yang balance. For example, if you want to paint the southern walls a beautiful raspberry red (yang), choose more yin colours for the other areas. Similarly, if you choose shiny gold metal vases for your metal area, choose soft grey cushions or plaids for the sofa.
Beware of shar chi in the feng shui living room
Finally, to conclude on the decoration, layout and arrangement of a living room in feng shui, we must mention shar chi. To limit them as much as possible, we will take care to choose closed storage units with doors in order not to leave visible shelves (which multiplies the “stops”), all the more so if they are cluttered.
The basic rule is also to air the room at least once a day, to renew the air and therefore the energy. The living room should be tidy, orderly and clean without being sterile: to be welcoming, it should be warm. The sofa cushions don’t have to be lined up in a row! But there is a real difference between clutter (the living room cluttered with objects that shouldn’t be there) and life (a book on the coffee table, a blanket thrown on the sofa, …).
Also be careful when choosing furniture. Feng shui does not like sharp corners and edges. It is preferable to have rounded edges.
Finally, let’s finish with the symbolism of objects. As you know, they are never neutral. Try to look at your interior with a neutral, unaffected eye. You may discover a hidden meaning in the picture hanging above the sideboard…
