If you’re living in a small apartment and feel like your space is always cluttered, feels confined, or the atmosphere just feels off, you’re not alone. Luckily, no matter the size or layout of your apartment, you can easily transform your small space with Feng Shui. And what better time than the spring to declutter and decorate to create a well-balanced, harmonious home?
To help you get started, we’ve reached out to Feng Shui experts across the country for their best advice on transforming a small apartment with Feng Shui. So whether you’re renting a studio apartment in San Francisco or living in Denver, Atlanta, or another city where you can get more bang for your buck, these transformational Feng Shui tips will help you make the most of your small space.
Set the tone for your apartment with the entrance
Half the battle is won through paying extra attention to your home’s entrance or main door. The main door has the utmost importance, along with the kitchen and bedroom, which forms the critical trinity in home Feng Shui. Apartments with good Feng Shui will have a bright and spacious entrance and walkway (called the “Bright Hall”). – Feng Shui Discovery
Small spaces are cozy and comforting. To make the most of it, keep all areas tidy, the bathroom door closed, and move shoes away from the front door. As small as your place may be, keep the front door clear so chi can come into your home to fill it with prosperous energy. If you can, keep two planters on the outside of the front door. When looking out the front door from the inside, the planter on the left side should be larger than the one on the right side to increase your luck and protection. – Kerstin Tracy
Choose colors intentionally to create a soothing home atmosphere
Small spaces may feel even smaller if there’s too much stuff or too many colors everywhere. Give your apartment breathing space by keeping a wall in a light, neutral color and use wall scones that reflect light upwards. Apply soothing colors that you see out in nature, such as aquamarines, sky blues, light sand beach tones, or light shades of grays that inspire a sense of freedom and comfort. This is a simple way to bring nature into your space and give your mind a place to rest. – Zenotica
Utilize mirrors to lighten your space and incorporate plants to bring in the wood element
Mirrors are excellent in small spaces as they encourage good Feng Shui and lighten and brighten throughout. Love plants? Position the mirror to reflect the plant, and you’ll amplify the wood element of Feng Shui. Need a serene grounding energy in your space? Shape is key in Feng Shui, so go with a square or rectangular-shaped mirror. – Pure Living with Lisa Morton
Place furniture and artwork with balance in mind
A small space can be just as beautiful as a large space when you follow the rules of Feng Shui. Make sure you don’t have too much stuff than your space allows for. If you need to declutter, ask yourself, “do I need this” or “do I love this” when looking at each item. If not, consider letting it go. Having a few right-sized pieces of furniture balanced properly in the room makes a huge difference in how a space feels. It’s almost important that you don’t over-accessorize. A few statement pieces and art on the walls with depth or a large mirror can make the room feel more expansive. Keep in mind that every wall doesn’t need art, but it needs to be placed properly, so it’s balanced in the room. – Metro Interiors
Removing clutter from your apartment is essential for positive energy flow
Allow your apartment to feel lighter and brighter by decluttering
Encourage positive energy to enter and flow through your home by removing clutter – which is anything that’s no longer used or doesn’t have a proper home. Clutter drags you down and creates barriers in your life, while decluttering makes a space feel lighter and brighter, boosting energy and making space for new opportunities. Fix or discard broken items and invest in colorful or white stacking boxes to tidy paperwork, sentimental items, important papers, and stationery. Wicker or sisal baskets can be used in the pantry for storage and the bathroom for toiletries. After you’ve cleared your home of clutter, donate items and clothing you don’t need or will no longer use. – Anne Roselt
Only keep your favorite items
With small spaces, it’s crucial to pair down your belongings to your absolute favorites and necessities. You want the right balance of things for the size of your space because a space can only hold so much before the energy flow gets blocked and stagnant. Clutter blocks the energy flow in an environment, inhibiting positive energy flow in your life. – Montero Healing Arts
Always keep functionality in mind
Remember that less is more, so keep it simple, and function should always come first. Ideal for smaller spaces, consider mid-century modern furniture with its pleasing contours and soft, tapered, generally rounded edges. Steer away from furniture with points as the points cast poison arrows at those in front of them. Paint your walls in a single, light color as this creates a sense of expanse. – ZenSpot Institute
Distinguish a beginning and end with your work from home setup
If you have a small apartment or studio with an open floor plan and you’re working from home, place a simple shoji screen in front of your desk to close the door on your work for the day. Use soft lighting in other areas of the apartment to draw attention away from the work area. – Awakened Home
Fill your new apartment with items you love and bring you the most joy
The most important idea to remember in Feng Shui is that you must love and feel comfortable with your surroundings. Love conquers all. The most important rules in Feng Shui are 1) get rid of clutter, 2) only have what you use, need, or want, and 3) surround yourself with what you love, what makes you feel comfortable, and what brings you happiness. – Dianne Lawson
Maintain the balance of Yin and Yang throughout your apartment
Keep the balance of Yin and Yang in the entire apartment rather than in each defined space or room. Yin and Yang must be equally present as they are inseparable forces. Focus on balancing the main rooms as follows: the bedroom is Yin, (passive energy is black) water, and calm. Try incorporating artwork with the water element or blue hues. The kitchen and living room are Yang, (active energy is white) fire, and, energetic. Use bright colors and plants to activate this element. – Landolac Designs
Focus on the layout of your apartment and arrange rooms, so they align with their purpose
When done properly, Feng Shui can transform your life by harnessing the prevailing energies in the physical environment to suit you, your life goals, and your lifestyle. Ideally, a Feng Shui master would assist you in finding the best apartment block for you and then the best available apartment in that block. But if you already live in your apartment or own your home, we can still achieve transformative results. It is all about the layout of your apartment and ensuring the rooms are fit for purpose and set up in the best possible way. A properly qualified Feng Shui master can help you arrange your rooms and align your activities such as work, sleep, exercise, and rest to make the best use of the prevailing energies in your apartment or studio. – Master Boon of Feng Shui with Master Boon
Clean and minimal spaces allow for abundance
When you think of a large and wealthy home, you soon realize that there’s room for abundance, meaning that all surfaces, like drawer tops, tables, etc. only have a few items on them and no shoes or coats are visible in the entryway. So get organized, declutter every horizontal surface, and let the abundance of Chi flow in now that you’ll have the room for it. And don’t forget fresh flowers. – Healing with Heli
Thoughtfully decorate your home
The magic ingredients to making a small apartment look spacious are to place your intention on decluttering and allowing for a vibrant flow of energy to circulate throughout. To achieve that, avoid decorating with small objects spread around and be sure to dedicate areas where functionality blends with themed decor. Leave space between those areas for the Qi to circulate smoothly and choose a wall color that exudes a personal message to your apartment, whether it is serene, minimalistic, or exuberant. Then accessorize your space with non-angular furniture wherever possible and harmonizing colors. – Chez Feng Shui
Use the Bagua Map to Feng Shui your apartment
Lay the Bagua Map at your apartment door, aligning the Career gua to your doorway, to discover where the specific guas are. Next, think about what you’d most like to change in your life. Are you trying to attract love? If yes, enhance the Love & Marriage gua with pairs of things such as matching candleholders, two bird figurines (like lovebirds), or a picture of a couple that captures the love you’d like to manifest. If love and marriage are in your bedroom (and even if it isn’t), remember your bedroom should be a serene sanctuary for rest and romance only. – Feng Shui Made Simple
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