Feng Shui Tips for Your Apartment

Feng Shui Tips for Apartments

If you’re living in an apartment that isn’t quite the right size for your growing family, it can be quite a challenge to decorate it. It can seem an almost impossible task to incorporate Feng Shui principles as well. You can make an apartment or small space seem larger and it’s very inexpensive and simple to add the art of Feng Shui to help increase your wealth, enhance your health and overall well
being, and brighten up your careers and partnerships.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind for any small space:

Here goes the same thing you’ve heard over and over: the word clutter. However, remember the definition of clutter. It is what you don’t use, need or love. I had a question the other day from a client that was living in a small space but didn’t plan to be there forever. She’d had things in boxes for months that she couldn’t bear to part with but had decided to give them away to open up the room.

Oddly enough, I urged her not to. She truly loved these things and wasn’t going to be in her apartment forever. I felt that she would have regret at some point if she gave them up or sold them. I urged her to stack the boxes, use a pretty tablecloth and transform the area into one of beauty with silk flowers on top.

Suddenly, her “clutter” had been transformed into something she could now keep for when she could let them out and truly enjoy them. So while we will always tell you to be mindful of your surroundings, you don’t need to part with things you love.

As far as colors to open up a room, make it look larger and eye catching, always leave the entranceway light and airy. Many people are using a light yellow or beige shade for this area. However, because apartments often open up into different rooms, don’t be afraid to experiment with color. Usually a bright color on one of the walls in another room helps to distinguish that room as a separate space and can be very eye catching, drawing you into a space. You always want to feel drawn in and want your visitors to feel the same as well.

If you’re purchasing furniture, keep in mind a few things. Look for furniture with rounded corners instead of sharp edges and look for “lighter” furniture such as wicker. They won’t give the room the weight and heaviness that solid oak furniture will. If you can find end or coffee tables that serve as double duty for storage, even better. Many wicker pieces have this and look lovely.

Keep an eye for lighting. Use a lot of light in small spaces. Keeping the blinds open can be a challenge if you’re facing another apartment nearby. An idea to let light filter through is sheer curtains. A Feng Shui principle is “let the outdoors in” which can also be established with a few lush plants.

Try to keep pathways from room to room open to keep the flow of energy an easy and peaceful one. Since the rooms are not divided in many cases, you can easily designate entering a new space by small wind chimes or something small hanging over doorways.

Remember to grace all your doorways, including the entrance.

Watch the placement of your mirrors and what they reflect. They can open up a space and divert your attention from small areas or they can make you feel “closed in.” Always check to see what a mirror is reflecting as it is intensifying it and doubling the energy.

Check that your artwork is eye catching, not too large for the space and it will divert attention away from small areas by drawing and keeping your attention. Small area rugs work well for this too.

A small space doesn’t have to feel small; it can easily be changed to feel cozy which is the effect you are ultimately trying to achieve.