Q&A Sunday: Home Office in the Bedroom

Guest User March 21, 2021

Is it ok to have my home office in my bedroom?

This is something that has come up a lot this year with so many of us working from home. Sometimes the bedroom the only area where you can set up a workspace, especially if you normally work at an office and weren’t prepared to work from home.

In general, my advice is to do the best with what you have. Feng shui isn’t magic—it’s not going to add another room to your home or make one of your rooms suddenly bigger. You have to make accommodations and compromises based on your situation.

In general, it’s not ideal to have a workspace in your bedroom. If you can move it to another place in your home, I would recommend you do that. A separate room is best, but you can also carve out space in another room in your home, one that is not dedicated to sleep and relaxation. For example, perhaps there is a corner in your kitchen that would work well as a dedicated home office.

If you must have your home office in your bedroom, there are a few ways that you can make the most of the situation. First, make sure you have a separate space dedicated to work within your bedroom. You don’t want to work on your computer while sitting in bed, because you’re mixing two different types of energy: yin, the more passive energy of rest and sleep; and yang, the active energy of work.

Next, do your best to create a visual separation between your workspace and the rest of your bedroom. You can do this with a freestanding bookcase, room divider, or fabric panel. If you can’t fit something like this in your bedroom, you may want to cover your desk with a beautiful piece of fabric at the end of each work day to create more separation between your work and personal life.

If you have questions about your specific situation, I’d recommend working with an expert. If you do have the opportunity to work with a feng shui consultant, they can help you locate a better space for your home office, or figure out how to best accommodate the workspace in your bedroom if that is really the only option.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: My Feng Shui Rubber Tree Plant

Guest User March 14, 2021

What is that plant with the big shiny leaves that’s behind you in your Instagram videos?

That’s my rubber plant, gifted to me by my friend Jill! When she left New York City and moved to the west coast, she gave me some of her plants, including this one.

I’ve been thinking about plants recently. More specifically, I’ve been curious about what information we can glean from them, as well how they can help us invite more beauty into our lives.

There’s a lot to learn just from paying attention to the plants in your home. How are they doing? Are they thriving? What is the quality of the leaves? Are they collecting dust? Are there new buds? It’s fascinating to look at the stem, too, and see what has happened over time—maybe the plant went through a difficult time, and then an easier time. A plant can tell you so much!

I think plants also can hold the qi of their previous owners. My friend Jill, for example, had very good business qi, and that rubbed off on me a little by adopting her plant.

I’ve also been working with the idea of how to invite more beauty into your life. Just spending a little time with my rubber plant and looking at it with curiosity gave me a new perspective on this plant that’s been in my home for a while. I can pay attention to how the light looks underneath each leaf, how the shadow and light all come together, and so many other details of this beautiful plant.

How can you start to look at your plants with curiosity? I encourage you to look at different parts of the plant that you may not normally pay attention to. You can even use your phone to snap beautiful images from different angles. I invite you to look with curiosity, rather than judgment, and see what you can reveal.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday". If you have personal questions, we encourage you to check out Practical Feng Shui or hire one of Anjie's Grads.

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Q&A Sunday: The Best Feng Shui Colors for a Kitchen

Guest User March 7, 2021

What are the best colors for a kitchen?

The short answer is: it depends! I encourage you to go back and read my philosophy on color. The most important thing to take into account is what colors you are drawn to, and how they make you feel.

I do have some ideas to share as a starting point, if you’d like some guidance. One principle of feng shui that can guide you in choosing colors is the five elements system. Knowing that your kitchen is a room where you might spend a lot of time, this can give you some ideas about how you want to welcome colors into this part of your home.

The five elements are earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. I recommend reading the descriptions of each below, and seeing if anything resonates with you. Then, think about how you can bring colors into your kitchen with intention. You can do this through the food you cook and eat, your dishes, a new coat of paint, or even something as simple as napkins.

Here are the colors associated with each of the five elements, and what qualities they can bring into your home:

Earth: Brown, yellow, and neutrals

Earth element is great for nourishment, stability, and growth. This makes it a supportive element if you’re struggling with anxiety or if you want to focus on self care.

Metal: White, metallics

Metal is thought of as one of the more ideal colors for a kitchen because it’s related to cleanliness and purity, which is important for the food we earth. We want clean, healthy, pure food with vibrant life energy.

Water: Black and dark midnight blue

Water can help to support wisdom and flexibility. It strengthens our ability to go with the flow and to be less rigid. It can also represent our social connections to other people.

Wood: Green, teal, blue

Wood represents vitality and healing. It’s a great color if you need a healthy boost of qi. Wood is also connected to kindness and open-heartedness.

Fire: Red

Fire symbolizes how you show up in the world. It’s your vitality and passion for things, and how people see you. Fire is a great element to work with if you would like to be more visible.

Maybe one of the qualities of the five elements spoke to you, and you can find a way to bring this into your kitchen. It doesn’t have to be a big change—you can try out something small like a napkin or a mug. As you introduce a color, work with the intention of bringing in the quality of that element that you want to invite.

by Anjie Cho