The Best Feng Shui Bedroom Layout for Positive Energy Flow

Do you wake up feeling tired? Throughout the day, is your energy stuck in sleep town, and you never quite get to your best self? You might find your solution is to create a positive energy flow by utilizing feng shui.

Feng shui is an energy-led Chinese interior design methodology. The energy you want to attract should guide every interior design decision you make.

We spoke with Dear Modern’s Cliff Tan to get the best advice. Cliff is an architect, feng shui consultant, and the author of Feng Shui Modern. “Feng shui has two important things: one is energy, and the other is command position. Energy is all of the things in your room. Let’s say you have four walls, then I puncture a hole through the wall, and you have a window that brings you energy. There’s light and air. Then, you add a door. It doesn’t add light because it’s closed but brings expectant energy. Someone can come through that door any minute!” explained Cliff.

Feng shui starts with the architecture of your home but continues with everything you put in it. Every decision you make, from the placement of your bed to the color of your bed sheets, impacts the energy in your bedroom.

What Is “Good” Feng Shui?

Good feng shui considers two things: energy and commanding position. People often think that feng shui has many rules, but according to Cliff, feng shui is about you and what energy you want in your home.

What flow of energy or chi do you want in your space? Start with that and then design accordingly.

Cliff said, “Feng shui is the Chinese art of building buildings… But over the years it’s taken on this air of mysticism, like superstition. And this created a divide between the people who believe and the people who don’t believe. It’s not for the believers or non-believers, it (feng shui) is a thing. If you want light or energy, you build a window. If you want energy while you work, you work by a window. It’s simple.”

How To Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Sleep is the most important part of wellness. Your sleeping habits impact every other part of your health, so if there’s one room you want to feng shui, it is your bedroom.

“Sleeping is a state of calm and relaxation, so the bedroom should be calm and relaxed. But, it’s different for everyone.” Cliff says. “You might want different energy in your room.”

First, consider what energy you want in your bedroom, and then begin designing your space. Cliff explained his process for working with clients.

“When I start a feng shui project, I first ask for their home’s floor plans and create how I would lay out their space. Then, I interview them to see what their job is like to learn what they crave when they get home. How do they spend their time? Are they single? Married? It seems like a therapy session, but I’m fixing your home to meet your needs.” Cliff explained that he stays quiet, listens to his clients, and then after a long pause, he explodes with ideas on creating the right chi for the space based on their needs.

He told the story of one of his clients who hated her bedroom set-up because she used a traditional bedroom design that didn’t fit her small bedroom.

Cliff said, “I had a single customer who wants to stay single. She was frustrated by her bedroom layout: a bed, two side tables, and two lamps. She didn’t need it laid out like that! Move your bed to the corner. When you’re single, your bed represents sleep; it’s a tool. Choose what’s right for you.”

If you want to feng shui your bedroom, put yourself first. Do you want lots of energy and life in your bedroom, or do you want it calm and restful? Your goals determine the rules for feng shui in the bedroom.

General Feng Shui Bedroom Rules

You want the right vibes in your bedroom; whether “knock-me-out,” relaxing, romantic, or full of life, bedroom feng shui principles will change based on your goals.

But, general feng shui bedroom rules guide you on creating the life force energy or chi you want.

Establish a Commanding Position

First, let’s talk about bed placement. When placing your bed, you want to take a commanding position. Cliff said, “Command position is where you position yourself in the room. You want to sit with your back to the wall, so you are facing the room and energy.”

According to Cliff, you never want the foot of the bed facing a bedroom door. That is bad feng shui. “In Chinese culture, coffins face the door, and breech babies come out feet first. It’s bad luck. A classic feng shui no-no is sleeping with your feet toward the door. Never do that. It’s a vulnerable position.”

However, you want your bed in the command position, which means you should still see the door, but not in line with the door.

Add a Supportive Headboard

The headboard represents stability. It’s the piece of furniture in your bedroom that most represents your romantic relationship. Choose a solid headboard securely fastened to the wall for extra support

Ground the Space With a Rug

Feng shui experts agree that rugs stabilize energy in the room. Bedroom rugs should be all about comfort and coziness. Get plush, fluffy rugs in soft, soothing colors. Bedroom decor could be in colors like pink or salmon for romantic energy or shades of green and jade for rejuvenation.

Avoid Under-Bed Storage

Purge that negative chi by purging the junk under your bed. Anything left under your bed can leave a subconscious block. Do you keep your luggage under the bed? It can make you feel like you aren’t settled at home and must be on the go.

What if you have something worse under your bed? Letters from an ex or clothes that don’t fit anymore. With items like that living under your bed, you can feel trapped in the past and unable to move forward in your life.

Always Make Your Bed

A simple feng shui tip that you can do without moving or buying any furniture is making your bed. It turns chaos into positive energy with only a few minutes of your time. Starting your day with this activity has a ripple effect. Positive energy will flow into other parts of your day.

Keep the Bed Away from the Bathroom Door

Place your headboard against a solid wall that isn’t shared with a bathroom. If you place your bed against a wall with a bathroom, you have two opposing energy forces. The bedroom energy is for rest, and the bathroom is for cleansing and waste elimination. The bathroom has water energy, which is an ungrounded feeling — not a feeling you want when trying to relax.

Create Symmetry

When you place your bed against a solid wall, you want space on both sides. Asymmetry can make you feel off-kilter. So, when adding nightstands and lamps to your room, consider adding one on both sides of the bed to create symmetry.

Adopt a Less-Is-More Approach

Feng shui masters believe that clutter stifles your chi. It goes beyond merely blocking positive energy. Clutter screams, “bring on the negative energy!” It overwhelms your mind and makes it hard to focus. So, having less leads to more positive vibes. Be sure to declutter your bedroom to remove chaotic energy from your sleeping space.

(Ready to go minimal? Or have a friend who’s a minimalist? Here are some minimalist products and gift ideas.)

This also goes for cleaning. A clean space brings positive energy. So, pull out that mop, vacuum, and get ready for a cleaning sesh. Cliff said, “Chi translates to air, the atmosphere of the space. A Roomba^® has chi — it moves, and you expect it to come by you at some point in the day. It has good energy because it cleans your room and gives you comfort.”

Although, Cliff explains that the bedroom isn’t the best place for electronic devices like a Roomba^® robot vacuum. He said, “Feng shui is all about function. Your Roomba is hungry. It wants to eat dirt. Put it near where the dirt is!”

(Don’t forget to name your Roomba! We’ve got a blog chock full of robot vacuum names to inspire you.)

Open Your Blinds Every Day

When you wake up in the morning, make it a habit to raise those blinds and bring in the energy. An open window’s natural light and fresh air bring energy, so it’s a great start to the day.

Feng Shui Bedroom Colors

According to Cliff, China loves color! Bring on all things pretty and colorful. But, in the bedroom, there are some rules regarding color. First, as with the other rules guiding proper feng shui, think about what kind of energy you want to bring into your bedroom.

If you want to invite wellness and vitality, choose shades of green. Greens connect with the wood element of feng shui, representing growth (like a plant. Get it?). For prosperity, use purple. It’s cool, balances soothing blue with firey red, and connects to the Xun or wealth area of the feng shui Bagua map. Add elements of pink or peach to your room. Pinks and peaches are known for femininity and nurturing. Craving a simpler life? Go with white or cream. To feel more balanced or grounded, go with earth colors like yellow, brown, or orange.

But what if you are the type who is afraid of commitment? You might change your intention tomorrow, after all! Use wall art, bed sheets, or even an alarm clock with a pop of color to bring in the colors that fit the energy you want to attract.

Minimize Technology

Electronic devices in the bedroom bring negative energy, so, if possible, avoid combining your bedroom and home office. The computers, phones, and other devices will interrupt the energy flow in the space and cause bad chi.

Although Cliff is realistic in his assessment of technology in the bedroom, he reasons if TV provides comfort, have a TV in your bedroom, even if it’s against the rules. “We don’t love TVs in interior design,” Cliff explained. “But in feng shui, we say, ‘do what feels good,’ so put it somewhere comfortable.”

Bring the Outside In (or Not)

Feng shui experts are at odds about plants in the bedroom. On one side, plants need water, bringing in energy. As we’ve discussed, water energy is a firm no in the bedroom. However, plants bring restorative energy into the room, too. Cliff’s motto is you do you. If you like plants, have plants. Feng shui is different for everyone.

Balance All Five Elements

Feng shui has five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

Wood: Represents growth, birth, strength, flexibility, and intuition, but too much wood leads to feelings of overwhelm, rigidity, stubbornness, and inflexibility.

Fire: Fire represents enthusiasm, inspiration, and boldness, but too much fire leads to anger, aggression, impulsivity, and irritability.

Earth: Earth elements bring grounding, balance, and stability. However, an overabundance of earth elements leads to boredom, sluggishness, and seriousness.

Metal: In feng shui, metal means clarity and logic. Be wary of too much clarity! It leads to chattiness, critical behavior, and thoughtlessness.

Water: Water brings inspiration, wisdom, and insight into your life, while too much water makes you feel unbalanced and overwhelmed.

Nourish the Senses

While talking about the five elements, we can’t miss their role in the five senses. Each element in feng shui has a connection to the senses.

Fire = touch

Wood = hear

Earth = taste

Water = sight

Metal = smell

Bring the five senses into your bedroom by adding plush, tactile fabric for touch, wind chimes outside your window for hearing, wall art for sight, and essential oils for the smell. For taste? We’ll leave that up to you and what energy you want to bring to the bedroom.

Watch Out for Sharp Corners

Cliff loves curves and circular features in his home. Rounded shapes signify the metal element. What does metal do when it’s heated? It enfolds, curves, and gathers together, which is what it means in feng shui. Rounded corners are an invitation to be enfolded, so think of them like an invitation for a good cuddle.

Avoid Water Features

A water feature might sound lovely in the bedroom. The ambient noise could lull you to sleep, but water, in feng shui, brings unbalanced energy. This could be great in a home office because this energy also brings inspiration and wisdom, but in the bedroom, you don’t want to be inspired at 3:00 AM.

Feng shui your bedroom

Our sleeping habits impact every aspect of our life, so if you’re struggling with interrupted sleep, the inability to fall asleep, or insomnia, make a change. Feng shui doesn’t require a major remodel or shift in your life. All you need is some clarity. What energy do you want in your bedroom? From there, make small changes that attract the energy you want in your life. Before you know it, you’ll be sleeping like a baby.