Living room and Feng Shui: how to furnish your living room with the best Feng Shui solutions to optimize the circulation of Qi (energy) with respect to house orientation and personal goals.
In this website, some of the practical aspects of house furnishings according to Feng Shui , as shapes of a general layout, have been discussed as well as specific solutions for bedrooms and for the south corner of a living room.
This article deals with a Feng Shui complete design for a living room, obviously according to general criteria, as particular cases should be treated as a professional advice.
The criteria to consider when positioning a living room in a house are not obvious, though often architectural design has already identified a suitable space according to its logic, so we can say that most of the time the choice is compulsory
However, if we want to be totally free to make our choice since the beginning, we must consider the Chinese compass and its eight directions (Ba Gua): the eastern and southeast directions are the most suitable for a living room, south and southwest less fit for the purpose, while west and northwest are unsuitable and north and northeast are totally inadequate.
Of course, our choice of the optimal direction, where possible, should take into account the type of living room that we want to make: it’s a different nt matter if it is a reading room, for TV viewing time, for working at desk or else if this space will be used for convivial situations and also includes a dining table (if there is not a dining room available or a large enough kitchen). The “extreme” type of living room is an open-space that includes, besides a ‘sitting’ space, also a ‘food’ area.
Depending on the type of living room we will be able to choose the most suitable materials, colors and shapes, but the main factor is the direction to which the living room is located in relation to the layout. Another important factor is the openings: a south-facing living room with a southern window will be quite different as energy compared to a living room in the same direction but with a window to the east.
As for Wu Xing, depending on the kind of energy we want and / or the compensation to do with the orientation, we can choose:
1 the Water-Wood combination, to make the lounge very welcoming and confidential and possibly compensate for an excessive exposure to the West (Metal).
2. The Wood-Fire combination, if we want to push the energy to have a brilliant environment, suitable for social moments, and possibly compensate for an excessive Northern exposure (Water).
3. The Fire-Earth combination, to build a lively environment but not too much, which also allows for calm moments such as watching movies on TV or company games, chess games, etc., and possibly compensating for excessive east exposure (Wood).
4. The Earth-Metal combination, in order to manage a sober living room with a calm, balanced atmosphere that gives space for reflection and also for meetings with professional valorisation; it serves to compensate for excessive south exposure (Fire).
5. The Metal-Water combination, to develop an elegant and creative environment at the same time, confidential, elitist. Useful to reduce the excesses of a southwest exposure (Earth).
In general, if the exposures allow it, it is advisable to use combinations n. 1, 2 and 3, making sure that the energy of an element is not too strong. For example, a living room directed straightly to south with a southern window too, is not the same than a living room as well directed to south but with an eastern window. In the first case it’s better not to use the Wood-Fire combination, but choose the Water-Wood energy combination.
As for the shapes, colors and materials of the furnishings they will have to follow the indications of Wu Xing according to the type of energy combinatioin chosen and in particular:
1. Water-Wood combination. Curvilinear-linear shapes with upward development. Colors: blue, blue, green, orange. Materials: soft fabrics and wood.
2. Wood-Fire combination. High rectangular and sharp shapes. Green, orange, pink, red, purple colors. Materials: hard fabrics and painted wood, glass and plenty of light, electrical and electronic appliances.
3. Fire-Earth combination Low rectangular and sharp shapes. Colors: pink, red, purple, yellow, ocher, brown. Materials: glass (light), electrical and electronic appliances and crockery, ceramics, stoneware, brick.
4. Earth-Metal combination. Low rectangular, round, oval, semi-circular shapes. Colors: yellow, ocher, brown, white, gray, gold, silver, bronze. Materials: crockery, pottery, metal.
5. Metal-Water combination Round, oval, semicircular, curvilinear-linear shapes. Colors: white, gray, gold, silver, bronze, blue, black, green. Materials: metal, glass (liquids).
Obviously, you can not expect to furnish a living room only with a combination of energy such as Earth-Metal or Metal-Water, since fabrics and wood are basic for almost all kinds of furnishings, but in case you choose the Earth-Metal or Metal-Water combination, you should appropriately measure the presence of Wood energy that is controlled by Metal according to Wu Xing. The key to solve this problem is to use the Water energy, creating an energy bridge to balance Wood and Metal.
An important aspect of the Fire energy is light, which has to be assessed according to two main ways:
1. Natural light, essentially depending on the type and exposure of the openings, as well as on any interior (curtains) or external filters (plants, buildings, etc.)
2. Artificial light, depending on furnishing choices.
In a living room you should better prefer light bulbs and only in the case of open spaces direct lights on kitchen or dining tables are used. Some lighting solutions in line with oriental furnishings and Feng Shui are suggested by Cinius: here are two examples of a cylindrical shape, high rectangular projection, Wood element and a cubic shape, square projection, Earth element.
Here are some other Cinius solutions for a living room furniture that can be read according to Feng Shui:
In this design proposal there are several Feng Shui geometries, but as an energetic synthesis we can call it a Water-Wood combination thanks to the combination of numerous curved and straight line elements (staircase-shaped library, rocking chair and edges) and fabric, fiber and wood materials.
Here the rectangular flat shelving and the white square panel denote an Earth-Metal Energy combination, although the Wood material suggests the need to add Water, which is partially present thanks to the shapes of the high lamp and the mirror frame.
Work done in collaboration with Cinius Torino