Practicing feng shui in your home office can bring balance and positive energy into many areas of your life. While feng shui suits any room in the home, utilizing feng shui in your home office can boost the natural energy necessary for getting things done and being happy and productive in your work.
When organizing a work from home office using feng shui principles, place your desk in a commanding position. Use colors, plants, lighting, and decorations that calm you at a subconscious level. Other items in the room should create a natural flow and promote a positive stream of energy to boost success.Â
The Chinese practice of feng shui uses philosophical principles of humanity and nature’s connection alongside organization methods that affect people at the subconscious level. Combine these to avoid negative energy and proper in your career.
But what about your furniture – how should it be arranged?
What desk works best for your feng shui home office setup?
What home office plants are best?
What colors are the ones to use to keep with feng shui principles?
In this post we’re taking a closer look at what you need to do to maximize the positive energy in your home office space and put you into a commanding position for maximum productivity and effectiveness.
By the way – before we get into it, if you want to get more great ideas for your gaming room or home office and want to connect with other home office hackers to make your space the best join my free private Facebook group, Home Office Hacks here.
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng shui is an ancient practice derived from a Chinese poem that describes the connection between human life and nature. Those who follow the feng shui philosophy arrange items and pieces of furniture to create balance based on the flow of nature and its elements.
Since different areas in your home reflect different aspects of your life, your home office is linked to your business and career. Whether you are designing your home office or redesigning an existing office to become more balanced, you will want to implement apply feng shui elements to your office furniture.
Goals of Feng Shui
Classical feng shui principles can have several effects on a dedicated space, affecting a person’s
- Connection with nature
- Positive energy
- Good luck
- Wealth and prosperity
- Success
Feng shui is an ancient practice attempting to harmonize individuals and energy forces with their environment.
The goal of classical feng shui is to achieve harmony among all things through arrangement of living spaces.
How Does It Work?
According to traditional feng shui theory, everything has a yin/yang polarity. This means that every object contains both masculine and feminine energies. When two opposite forces meet, one becomes stronger than the other.
For example, when water meets fire, steam rises up creating clouds. In the same manner, when good meets bad, evil prevails over goodness.
To bring out the power of opposites, feng shui practitioners arrange rooms so that the dominant force faces away from the door while the weaker force faces toward the entrance.
Water represents emotion, communication, creativity, intuition, and sensitivity. Water also symbolizes wealth and abundance.
Fire represents passion, ambition, leadership, courage, and determination. Fire also signifies health, strength, and vitality. If you feel like you lack these qualities, try burning incense sticks near your desk. Incense burns slowly releasing negative energy and bringing about peace and calmness.
Wood represents stability, endurance, longevity, and wisdom. Wood also symbolizes protection, family, and friendship. A wooden table placed under a window brings positive energy into the room. Wooden tables are considered lucky since it is said that people born under this sign are wise and strong leaders.
Metal represents hard work, discipline, and perseverance. Metal also symbolizes honesty, integrity, and loyalty. Place a statue of Buddha next to your computer for increased focus and concentration. Statues represent enlightenment and spiritual growth.
Earth represents grounding, security, and safety. Earth also symbolizes love, compassion, and kindness. Keep earth elements close to your front door to ensure prosperity and luck.
Define Your Goals & Intentions
Defining the kind of work you do in your home office is important because it helps determine what type of feng shui design elements should be used.
According to feng shui expert Marianne Gordon, evaluating your environment and the work you do in that space and being mindful about the sensory experience can lead to increased comfort, productivity. and creativity.
Look around your office space and figure out “what has to change”, Gordon says. It’s an “exercise in exercise in mindfulness about your surroundings.”
For instance, if you spend most of your time doing creative work like writing, designing, drawing, etc., then you need to place objects representing those activities around your workspace.
If you’re working at a job that requires long hours sitting behind a computer screen, consider placing items such as books, plants, and other items that relate to success and happiness in your office.
In addition to defining your goals, consider how much time you spend in your home office each day. Do you have enough space? Is there adequate lighting or natural light? Are there any distractions that could prevent you from getting things done?
The more we know our own needs, the better able we will be to meet them.
How to Design a Feng Shui Office
A feng shui master knows that design and arrangement are everything. To design a feng shui office, the items you choose to inhabit a space and the placement of those items are key.
Popular feng shui intentions for home offices include wealth and prosperity since home offices are used primarily as workspaces. How you design your home office can affect your career and success. To create a successful home office, follow these steps:
Define your goal. What does your ideal home office look like? Where would you ideally want to sit when you get up in the morning? Would you prefer to work on paper or with a laptop?
Determine where all of your belongings currently reside. This includes furniture, electronics, appliances, artwork, decorations, etc.
Decide which areas of your house hold sentimental value. These spaces may not necessarily be rooms but rather specific locations within your home. For example, if you grew up playing sports in your basement, this area holds special meaning for you. You might want to keep some of your childhood memorabilia here.
Create a list of potential décor ideas based on your desired outcome. According to the principles of feng shui, if you’d like to attract money into your life, think about adding gold accents, crystals, gemstones, and other materials associated with abundance.
Once you’ve determined your ideal layout, start shopping! Look online for inspiration; visit local stores and ask salespeople for help.
When choosing furnishings, make sure they fit well together. Avoid clashing colors and patterns. Also avoid using too many different textures.
Finally, don’t forget to add personal touches. Include photos, art, mementos, and anything else that makes you feel good.
Utilize a Dedicated Home Office Space
Feng shui principles state that your home office should be far from your bedroom if possible. Your bedroom should have its own feng shui setup and sharing a space with your office can make it more difficult to wind down and find peace when it is time to sleep.
If it’s impossible to dedicate a room solely to your home office, give yourself dedicated space in a multifunctional room that isn’t the bedroom. Use some kind of divider, such as a bookshelf or partition to split a room into pieces.
CosyStar 6-Tier Adjustable Tall Bookcase, Rustic Wood and Metal Standing Bookshelf, Industrial Vintage Book Shelf Unit, Open Back Modern Office Bookcases
- Open storage shelves design provides perfect platforms for displaying your decorations. Like family photos, novels, speakers or plants. Clean design meets rustic industrial style in this etagere bookcase, ideal for your bedroom, living room, kitchen or office.
- Unlike other fixed shelves that limit the height of display items, you can adjust the placement of each shelf and customize according to your specific needs. Shelf heights are adjustable to create your own storage and display spaces for different sizes items.
Rose Home Fashion RHF 6 ft.Tall-Diamond Weave Fiber 4 Panels Room Divider/4 Panels Screen Folding Privacy Partition Wall Room Divider Freestanding 4 Panel Wall Room Divider (Light Beige, 4 Panel)
- More privacy: Extra large, 6 ft. tall by 16″ wide each panel
- Two-way Hinges: woven frame folding panels with dual two-way hinges for easy to fold in either direction.
Feng Shui Arrangement of Furniture
Arrange your furniture based on age-old feng shui principles.
- Do not set your desk against a wall. If placing your desk against a wall use a mirror so you can see what’s happening behind you.
- Do not set your desk directly in line with the doorway.
- Ensure your desk faces the doorway (the position of power).
- Do not have a beam or shelf directly over your head.
- Do not have a window or a door behind you.
When possible, feng shui dictates that you should have a solid wall behind you. This means that a blank space is the ideal backdrop. However, not everyone has the space to give up an entire wall.
If you cannot have an entire wall of free space, choose sturdy art or shelves that are heavily reinforced and will not distract you.
Choose the Right Desk
Your desk is the centerpiece of your home office. It is where you’ll spend your time working and it’s where the Bagua lives. Choose your desk wisely by looking for certain elements:
- Sturdy: You don’t want a leaning desk or a wobbly desk.
- Wood: A natural wood desk is ideal.
- Rounded: Sharp edges and angles bring negative energy.
Nnewvante Writing Computer Desk 46″ Bamboo Home Office Table with 2 Drawers, Modern Furniture Simple Study Makeup Workstation
- Get rid of tedious design, the bamboo computer desk’s simple line style brings a feel of minimalism to room, makes your space look neat, rustic, and comfortable
- The writing desk is versatile for any scenes – Study desk for child, Gaming table for boy/men, dressing table for women, a compact workstation for working from home. Home office both available
SIMPLIHOME Hollander SOLID WOOD Contemporary Modern 60 inch Wide Home Office Desk, Writing Table, Workstation, Study Table Furniture in Warm Walnut Brown with 2 Drawers
- DIMENSIONS: 24″ D x 60″ W x 31.5″ H
- SOLID WOOD: Handcrafted with care using the finest quality Pine
In your home office, your desk should be placed in the Power Position, also known as the Command Position. This is the spot diagonal to the door. You can see anyone entering your space but you are not directly in line with the door (vulnerable). The Southwest position in your home office is also a position of power.
Feng Shui Desk Bagua
When it comes to your desk, the feng shui Bagua comes into play. In the feng shui philosophy, the Bagua is a mandala that contains eight areas. You can lay a physical Bagua mandala on your desk to get an idea of what’s going on in the different areas of your career. You can also visualize the Bagua.
Traditional Chinese Feng Shui Convex Bagua Mirror & Concave Bagua Mirror (Concave6)
- One Concave Mirror for protection against passive negative energy & One Convex Mirror for protection against active harmful energy Bagua mirrors are designed to be hung outdoors.
- The trigram for Heaven called Chien (three solid lines) goes at the top and the trigram for Earth called Kun (three broken lines) goes at the bottom.
Take a look at this example of the Bagua situation when used with a home office desk:
Keep an eye on where your desk clutter tends to accumulate. If you find that a certain area on the Bagua often gets untidy or cluttered, it might be symbolic of a blockage in that particular life area. Focus on organizing that part of your life and tidying your cluttered desk at the same time.
You can activate certain areas in your Bagua as well. If you want to boost your prosperity and wealth, consider activating the popular wealth corner of your Bagua, which is the left corner of your desk furthest from you if you are standing in the doorway of your office.
Place an activation stone, such as an citrine crystal, on the wealth corner of your desk to activate the area and enhance your prosperity and business successes.
CrystalTears Amethyst Crystal Geode Cluster Raw Reiki Healing Quartz Crystals Stones Druzy Geode Specimen Amethyst Gemstone for Witchcraft Home Decor Meditation Reiki Healing Feng Shui 0.55-0.77 lb
- Amethyst Crystal Cluster: amethyst quartz crystal cluster is formed by several single-pointed crystals sharing a community base. The individual crystals reflect lights back and forth to each other, so that all are immersed in the twinkling light emitted by the whole, great for purifying the negative energy and atmosphere in the environment, bringing more happiness and harmony to you
- Amethyst Healing Crystals: amethyst is considered the stone of sobriety. Amethyst improves concentration, memory and other mental abilities. The light of Amethyst calms and relaxes, enabling the person to clarify the thoughts and achieve inner harmony.
If you want to bring in more clients, activate your fame and recognition side. This reputation side of the Bagua is adjacent to the wealth corner on the long side of your desk and has the element of fire. Therefore, lighting a candle or turning on a bright light in that area can set the reputation intention.
Feng Shui Office Colors
Color choices are important to a feng shui home office. Feng shui colors are crucial to connecting with different energies that you want to highlight in a space. Each color also has a connection to one of the natural elements.
Jmbamboo- Live 8 Braided Style Lucky Bamboo Plant Arrangement with Green Vase
- 10-12” inch live plant.
- Brings good luck and fortune.
Chinese Money Plant – Pilea peperomioides | Live, Easy to Grow and Low Maintenance Houseplant (4-inch Pot)
- It’s beautiful, low-maintenance, and extremely easy-growing. Pileas are extremely easy to propagate and share with friends. Simply cut the new leaves off with a clean knife at the base of their stem and stick them into some fresh soil.
- Sunlight: Medium tot bright indirect light.
Shop Succulents | Ficus Elastica Decora Burgundy Rubber Tree Plant in 6″ Grow Pot, Hand Selected, Easy Care,
- INCLUDED IN PURCHASE | (1) Ficus Elastica Decora “Burgundy” Rubber Tree Plant | Live Indoor House Plant in 6″ Grow Pot
- WATERING | Water when the top inch of the soil becomes dry, then thoroughly drench until the water drains into the saucer. Empty the saucer if the water level is high so not to drown the roots.
Brussel’s Bonsai Live Dwarf Jade Indoor Bonsai Tree-3 Years Old 4″ to 6″ Tall with Decorative Container, Small
- Contents: bonsai, decorative container (assorted colors & styles), soil, Care instructions.
- Species: thick, round, dark green leaves and delicate pink flowers sit atop fleshy stems and branches. These succulent features hold water for long periods of time.
Costa Farms ZZ Zamioculcas Zamiifolia Live Indoor Plant, 10-Inch Tall, Fresh From Our Farm, Excellent Gift
- The zz plant is one of the easiest houseplants to grow. Low maintenance, drought tolerant, excellent indoor plant. Great for beginner plant parents.
- Ships well rooted in a Costa Farms brand grower pot. Plant height at shipping ranges from 12 to 14-inches tall, measured from the bottom of the pot to top of the plant.
Brussel’s Live Dwarf Hawaiian Umbrella Indoor Bonsai Tree – 9 Years Old; 12″ to 16″ Tall with Decorative Container, Humidity Tray & Deco Rock
- CONTENTS: Bonsai, Decorative Container (Assorted Colors & Styles), Humidity Tray, Deco Rocks, Soil, Care Instructions.
- SPECIES: Glossy green leaves are delicately divided and upright umbels produce orange-red to black berries. The leaves are miniature and shaped like umbrellas, which together, form a beautiful, green, and dense canopy.
JM BAMBOO-Victorian Parlor Palm – Chamaedorea Elegans – Indestructable
- One of the most popular palms in the world
- Its ability to put up with low light, drought and general abuse is legendary
Auspicious color combinations play a large role in creating a great feng shui atmosphere in your home office. Consider colors when painting the walls and choosing office decor.
Keep the nature of your work in mind because a busy colorful office might not be conducive to certain jobs. For example, if you work as an artist, an attractive combination of colors on an accent wall makes sense. But, if you need a calm, minimal environment to focus on crunching numbers, you might want to consider subdued colors.
Good Lighting and Air Quality Are Essential
Your home office should be well-lit with good airflow and circulation. Any home office designer will tell you the same thing, regardless of whether they practice feng shui or not. However, ample lighting and air circulation are key to improving your office’s feng shui.
A well-lit office makes work easier and will put less strain on your eyes. Natural light is the best. Plenty of natural light coming from a window will provide fresh energy. However, supplementary lighting from a desk lamp or table lamps can be beneficial as well.
Home Office Feng Shui Plants
Include plenty of plants in your home office. Healthy plants provide positive energy and clean air in a room. All plants can benefit your home office by livening it up and symbolizing growth. However, certain plants have even more advantages when seen through the feng shui lens.
Jmbamboo- Live 8 Braided Style Lucky Bamboo Plant Arrangement with Green Vase
- 10-12” inch live plant.
- Brings good luck and fortune.
Chinese Money Plant – Pilea peperomioides | Live, Easy to Grow and Low Maintenance Houseplant (4-inch Pot)
- It’s beautiful, low-maintenance, and extremely easy-growing. Pileas are extremely easy to propagate and share with friends. Simply cut the new leaves off with a clean knife at the base of their stem and stick them into some fresh soil.
- Sunlight: Medium tot bright indirect light.
Shop Succulents | Ficus Elastica Decora Burgundy Rubber Tree Plant in 6″ Grow Pot, Hand Selected, Easy Care,
- INCLUDED IN PURCHASE | (1) Ficus Elastica Decora “Burgundy” Rubber Tree Plant | Live Indoor House Plant in 6″ Grow Pot
- WATERING | Water when the top inch of the soil becomes dry, then thoroughly drench until the water drains into the saucer. Empty the saucer if the water level is high so not to drown the roots.
Brussel’s Bonsai Live Dwarf Jade Indoor Bonsai Tree-3 Years Old 4″ to 6″ Tall with Decorative Container, Small
- Contents: bonsai, decorative container (assorted colors & styles), soil, Care instructions.
- Species: thick, round, dark green leaves and delicate pink flowers sit atop fleshy stems and branches. These succulent features hold water for long periods of time.
Costa Farms ZZ Zamioculcas Zamiifolia Live Indoor Plant, 10-Inch Tall, Fresh From Our Farm, Excellent Gift
- The zz plant is one of the easiest houseplants to grow. Low maintenance, drought tolerant, excellent indoor plant. Great for beginner plant parents.
- Ships well rooted in a Costa Farms brand grower pot. Plant height at shipping ranges from 12 to 14-inches tall, measured from the bottom of the pot to top of the plant.
Brussel’s Live Dwarf Hawaiian Umbrella Indoor Bonsai Tree – 9 Years Old; 12″ to 16″ Tall with Decorative Container, Humidity Tray & Deco Rock
- CONTENTS: Bonsai, Decorative Container (Assorted Colors & Styles), Humidity Tray, Deco Rocks, Soil, Care Instructions.
- SPECIES: Glossy green leaves are delicately divided and upright umbels produce orange-red to black berries. The leaves are miniature and shaped like umbrellas, which together, form a beautiful, green, and dense canopy.
JM BAMBOO-Victorian Parlor Palm – Chamaedorea Elegans – Indestructable
- One of the most popular palms in the world
- Its ability to put up with low light, drought and general abuse is legendary
The Money Plant, in particular, represents all five balanced elements of feng shui: water, wood, earth, fire, and metal. For business owners and those who work at home, the Chinese Money Tree is a great plant to place in your home office to bring harmony and abundance.
Next Steps
Want to join others who are creating the most amazing home offices and get more tips, tricks and hacks on how to make your home office the best it can be?
Join my brand new free private Facebook group,Home Office Hacks to connect with other home office hackers to make your space the best!