The lounge or living room is a central meeting area for the whole house or apartment. It should showcase your taste and style while being welcoming and inviting. With Feng Shui principles, it has the same focus. Our apartment moves in to our lounge quickly so different areas have been ‘zoned’ with furniture, lights and colour to match the Bagua map. With this kind of apartment space, it is important to ensure the centre is uncluttered and has warm tones that match the earth element. We have a wool earth-coloured rug under a glass (water) and metal coffee table. Like most people, the coffee table attracts books and paper. Keep this clear and tidy as this is the heart of your home.
Inner Knowledge – It would be unusual to have your lounge on the immediate left of your front door. However; I have seen New York studios where this is the case. If so, keep this really tidy and uncluttered using the colours of deep blues and black with stone for the earth element. If possible, try to create a false entrance with a screen or even a Japanese style blind so that the Chi energy stops at the door and moves to the lounge area. If you do have enough space, the area should have a peaceful quality where people can relax.
Family & Health – This area would be great here as it is about the family area and being a meeting space. Use green and wood for the key colours and elements and the use of wood and blue hues are a great partner. Consider family photos and art work that communicate a sense of health, family and wellbeing.
Abundance & Prosperity – For this area, blend the element of wood and use tones of purple, deep blue and green to keep this area active. Buy the most expensive furniture you can afford that sends a message of richness and abundance. Use texture and fabrics that give a sense of luxury.
Fame & Reputation – The elements here are fire and shades of red which can also partner with wood elements for balance as wood feeds fire in the Feng Shui life cycle. We have a colour palette of blue, white and shades of caffe latte, to add red would not make sense. To manage this, we created an area behind the sofa that has hues of red with art work showing harvesting of fruit. We added touches of red matching the warm wood of the Chinese money chest. Red, hot pink and green flowers enhance the energy.
Relationships & Marriage – The key colours of pinks can be a challenge. A recommendation would be to use white, with touches of yellow and add elements of stone and earth. Make sure there are two of everything including any art work to represent relationships. The five elements may need to be used in this area to ensure a balance that is attractive. I have done this in rooms where the colours just don’t resonate – add the Bagua map in the room as if you were using it for the whole apartment and add all five elements placing furniture carefully. Keep family photos away as this is an area for marriage; photos of your partnership are fine to add.
Creativity & Children – Use white and grey paired with the elements of metal and water. Also, have fun in this area as it is about being playful and creative. Add art work that has a playful element including art done by your children and photos of family are great here.
Career & Life Path – It would be strange to have your lounge right in your front entrance and not ideal and I would recommend trying to create a false entrance to separate the areas. That being said, I know that some studios and even some European homes open straight in to a lounge area. Think minimalism in this area, keep it really clean and tidy and make sure the energy has time to ‘walk in’, wait and gently move in to the next area. Use dark colours for water and add wood as a great partner element.
Helpful People & Travel sector – A great sector and it is easy to use the colours of white, grey and black with the element of metal to create a chic lounge. As it is the travel area, place books and black and white photos of travel and places from around the world.
Mirrors
Feng Shui is very careful in its use 0f mirrors as they reflect and double the energy of what the mirror sees. However, particularly in a small living room, it can expand a room making it appear larger and adding height to ceilings. Make sure you choose a mirror that doesn’t chop off your head. You should be able to see at least from the waist upwards. We used a long mirror that gives the impression of height and it is often used to check ourselves before we go out.
Beams and Ceilings
We have beautiful old French beams in our French apartment. It is a Feng Shui rule to avoid sitting under beams or ceiling fans. If you have beams, paint them to disappear in to the ceiling and hang a crystal stating the intention that the beam stops cutting the energy of the area. A recommendation would be to get rid of ceiling fans as they are seen to be cutting energy as well. Avoid low ceiling spaces if you can.
Command Position of Sofa
Just like the bed of the bedroom, the desk of the work area, or the stove of the kitchen, the sofa is the a key focus for Feng Shui practices. Ideally, the sofa should be placed with a wall behind to give support and you should also be able to seen any key doors for anyone entering in. In Feng Shui this is called the ‘command position’. If, like our situation, that is difficult, place furniture behind the sofa that is the same height and that adds strength. We have a solid wood Chinese money chest and have plenty of room to walk between the two but enough space not to leave a big gap. Your eye will sense the right space for balance.
Finally, the TV
Electronics such as TVs and computers are considered to add yang energy to an area and add energy to the place you put them. We had little choice as the TV antenna was already in the wall. However, it is a good place as it is in the career area and adds energy.
