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IdeasTime to entertain: 5 tips for proper living room feng shui
Everyone knows about feng shui, the Chinese system of creating harmony through your surrounding environment. Think about it. You know your living space can easily affect your mood, both positively and negatively.
When you’re getting your home ready for entertaining — a topic we’ve been discussing in our “Time to Entertain series”— feng shui is a refreshing concept to keep in mind. After all, entertaining is all about making others feel comfortable and welcome in your home. With proper furniture and the right layout, you can have a harmonious living room that’s all set for riveting conversation and plenty of laughs.
Thankfully, all of this is easy to accomplish and takes minimal effort. So, ready to give feng shui a try? Here are some tips for creating a welcoming space:
Be very thoughtful about where you place your sofa. As a host, you want people to sit and stay awhile. The sofa has ample seating and anchors the entire space. There are two ways to place your sofa in the perfect spot:
1. Put your sofa a few inches away from a solid wall. Ideally, this wall should be opposite the main entry. Placing the sofa here creates better room flow and offers clear sight lines for guests. After all, entertaining is all about getting people to connect!
2. If there isn’t a main wall, place a sofa table or credenza behind your couch to make it feel secure and stable. Besides, this will be a perfect place to put a decorative lamp, fresh flowers or some framed “abstract” artwork from the kids.
Provide ample seating, not awkward seating. Let’s face it, we’ve all been in a living room that’s awkward to sit and converse in. Having enough seating to entertain guests comfortably is important, but so is the arrangement.
Accent chairs are the perfect solution to fill empty spaces. But that doesn’t mean you should stick them in the corner away from everything else — your guests aren’t on timeout! Resist the urge to place accent chairs against a single wall or lined up right next to one another. Seating should bring your guests together in a comfortable way, not divide them into rival zones. Angle chairs toward one another, and consider adding a side table between chairs where guests can place a drink.
Consider a circular coffee table. According to feng shui, the sharp edges of rectangular tables point directly at people and can be too harsh, making guests uncomfortable when compared with a circular table. Balance out your living room with a round table, which can be easier to navigate and move around. Oversized ottomans can do the trick just as well. Bonus? Ottomans add additional seating and storage, too.
Clear the clutter. Making sure your room flows well creates ease and comfort for your guests. Keep the space open and free from obstacles. You don’t want guests climbing over one another to move around your living room. It’s a place of comfort and relaxation, not a jungle gym. To find your flow, take notes from our friends who live in super small spaces — choose tall cabinets and bookshelves, consider armless accent chairs and pick items that do double-duty (like coffee tables with storage).
Mix things up with an assortment of shapes. Variety is the spice of life. Play up the visual intrigue by choosing items with different shapes: square and round ottomans, circular coffee table, crescent side table or rectangular credenza. And just like a puzzle, placing them all in just the right spot can give you a sense of satisfaction.
These tips will help create a welcoming, comfortable living room space with proper feng shui that your guests will love. It’ll keep the conversation lively and the drinks flowing. With guests feeling this relaxed and comfortable, you may have a hard time ever getting them to leave!
For more design ideas, be sure to check out the first post in our “Time to Entertain” series, focused on styling a guest room that your friends may not want to leave. Also, head on over to our lookbook for more inspiration. You’ll find great ways to style many different pieces like this beautiful writing desk and modern side table.
Top images by Monica Wants It (left) and Best Friends for Frosting (right).
When you’re getting your home ready for entertaining — a topic we’ve been discussing in our “Time to Entertain series”— feng shui is a refreshing concept to keep in mind. After all, entertaining is all about making others feel comfortable and welcome in your home. With proper furniture and the right layout, you can have a harmonious living room that’s all set for riveting conversation and plenty of laughs.
Thankfully, all of this is easy to accomplish and takes minimal effort. So, ready to give feng shui a try? Here are some tips for creating a welcoming space:
Be very thoughtful about where you place your sofa. As a host, you want people to sit and stay awhile. The sofa has ample seating and anchors the entire space. There are two ways to place your sofa in the perfect spot:
1. Put your sofa a few inches away from a solid wall. Ideally, this wall should be opposite the main entry. Placing the sofa here creates better room flow and offers clear sight lines for guests. After all, entertaining is all about getting people to connect!
2. If there isn’t a main wall, place a sofa table or credenza behind your couch to make it feel secure and stable. Besides, this will be a perfect place to put a decorative lamp, fresh flowers or some framed “abstract” artwork from the kids.
Carrie at Dream Green DIY makes great use of her sofa table.
Provide ample seating, not awkward seating. Let’s face it, we’ve all been in a living room that’s awkward to sit and converse in. Having enough seating to entertain guests comfortably is important, but so is the arrangement.
Accent chairs are the perfect solution to fill empty spaces. But that doesn’t mean you should stick them in the corner away from everything else — your guests aren’t on timeout! Resist the urge to place accent chairs against a single wall or lined up right next to one another. Seating should bring your guests together in a comfortable way, not divide them into rival zones. Angle chairs toward one another, and consider adding a side table between chairs where guests can place a drink.
Nikki from Seeded at the Table used the Nico Accent Chair to add more seating to her living room while Monica from Monica Wants It paired her accent chair with an existing one.
Consider a circular coffee table. According to feng shui, the sharp edges of rectangular tables point directly at people and can be too harsh, making guests uncomfortable when compared with a circular table. Balance out your living room with a round table, which can be easier to navigate and move around. Oversized ottomans can do the trick just as well. Bonus? Ottomans add additional seating and storage, too.
Clear the clutter. Making sure your room flows well creates ease and comfort for your guests. Keep the space open and free from obstacles. You don’t want guests climbing over one another to move around your living room. It’s a place of comfort and relaxation, not a jungle gym. To find your flow, take notes from our friends who live in super small spaces — choose tall cabinets and bookshelves, consider armless accent chairs and pick items that do double-duty (like coffee tables with storage).
Rachel makes ease of clutter by using the International Lux Writing Desk.
Mix things up with an assortment of shapes. Variety is the spice of life. Play up the visual intrigue by choosing items with different shapes: square and round ottomans, circular coffee table, crescent side table or rectangular credenza. And just like a puzzle, placing them all in just the right spot can give you a sense of satisfaction.
Kelly from Eclectically Vintage used a variety of shapes and objects to help bring a distinctly unique vibe to her living room.
These tips will help create a welcoming, comfortable living room space with proper feng shui that your guests will love. It’ll keep the conversation lively and the drinks flowing. With guests feeling this relaxed and comfortable, you may have a hard time ever getting them to leave!
For more design ideas, be sure to check out the first post in our “Time to Entertain” series, focused on styling a guest room that your friends may not want to leave. Also, head on over to our lookbook for more inspiration. You’ll find great ways to style many different pieces like this beautiful writing desk and modern side table.
Top images by Monica Wants It (left) and Best Friends for Frosting (right).
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