Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, but this can be difficult when your space feels 'off'. Feng Shui principles are important to consider when designing a space, especially as we bombard our space with new decor and lights so, to ensure your space promotes a positive energy during the festivities, you'll want to brush up on the most important rules.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas decorating, but sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming. It seems as if the decor wears the room rather than the other way around. Originally I'd thought this was simply an aesthetic thing and just a natural product of Christmas decor, however, after speaking with some Feng Shui experts, I've been convinced that my decor is ruining my energy flow.
To help you out, we've compiled five Christmas Feng Shui rules to live by during the holiday period to ensure your space remains calm and cozy. These guidelines are meant to help you maintain a positive energy flow in your space while celebrating the festive season, but if you're anything like me, you're probably breaking a few. Here's what you need to know.
1. Think about your Christmas tree placement
One of the most important elements of festive decor is the Christmas tree. Incidentally, it's also one of the most important influences on your living room's Feng Shui. Finding the perfect position for your Christmas tree is an annual deliberation, but have you ever considered Feng Shui principles in your decision?
Some things are obvious when it comes to tree placement. Obstructing a natural path, for example, is a no-no. However other considerations are much less obvious when it comes to Feng Shui. 'If you have a choice of tree placement options, avoid placing your tree in the northwest area of your home’s floor plan,' says Feng shui expert Laili Kafi González. 'This calendar year, the northwest region of our homes is under greater duress due to the location of certain stars, and so putting a tree with lots of fire energy in this space could create greater challenges for you.'
2. Avoid over stimulation
Christmas decor is naturally over the top, however, Feng shui experts recommend avoiding creating a space that's too over-stimulating, particularly rooms intended for rest. 'While going all out is tempting, avoid excessive flashing lights or loud decorations that could overwhelm the senses,' says Certified Feng Shui Consultant, Kerstin Tracy.
With all this extra decor, it's also important to maintain a tidy, clutter-free space. One of the most important principles is to remove clutter as it can stagnate energy. To reduce the chances of this, have an effective declutter before you decorate and keep a tidy space throughout the Christmas period. Consider trying some more minimalist Christmas decor, too, for a more subtle festive scheme.
3. Incorporate natural elements
Feng Shui is all about being mindful of the items you bring into your space and where you place them, and natural materials tend to be approved by Feng Shui experts as they are viewed as bringing good energy. 'Fresh greenery, flowers, or wood to bring in the energy of growth and renewal,' says Kirsten.
Take a leaf out of the Scandinavian Christmas decor book and look for organic materials such as wood which can easily be incorporated into your luxe Christmas style. 'Wood element is another energy we will find a lot of this season with Christmas trees, garlands, wreaths, and all sorts of floral arrangements,' says Laili. 'Wood energy is often also used to raise the chi of a home, and inspire growth and creativity.'
However too much can cause an unbalance that can be overstimulating. 'In excess, it can lead to feelings of being scattered and overactive,' Laili warns. 'To counterbalance this, consider decorating with some beautiful crystal ornaments to help bring in some grounding earth energy and some holiday sparkle.' Moderation might not be in the traditional Christmas spirit but it should be if you wish keep maintain a harmonious home.
4. Create balance
Sometimes we focus all our energy on elaborately decorating the main living space we neglect other areas of our home which can cause an imbalance within the space. Using a lot of elaborate mismatch décor can also contribute to this if you tend to be more eclectic when it comes to your festive ornaments.
'To ensure your decorations maintain a sense of balance, use a harmonious color scheme and distribute decorations throughout the space rather than clustering them in one area,' says Kerstin. It's also important to distribute the festivity throughout your home, for Feng Shui purposes as well as aesthetics.
Bringing the Christmas energy to your door is especially important according to expert interiors therapist and Feng Shui expert, Suzanne Roynon. 'The front door is the place where Feng Shui energy accesses the home,' she says, 'so light the way with twinkling fairy lights and consider real or artificial candles in the entrance hall'.
Kerstin agrees, suggesting certain lucky Feng Shui colors to encourage good energy into your home. 'Ensure the entrance is well-lit, and add a wreath to your door that contains red and gold colors to attract abundance to your home,' she explains.
5. Think about color
Color is incredibly important in Feng Shui, with certain shades having specific connotations. Traditional holiday decor sticks to quite a limited color palette, but experts warn that some shades could be affecting your Feng Shui.
'Christmas is traditionally a time for a lot of red decorations,' says Suzanne, 'but please don’t overdo it'. While Feng Shui doesn't dictate positive and negative colors specifically, it does characterize them by the energy they produce, and certain energies are less positive than others in abundance.
Red is a lucky feng shui color, but only when used in limited amounts. 'In excess, red can create a sense of restlessness and overstimulation,' says Feng Shui expert Matthias Dettmann. 'Too much red can create an overly active and aggressive environment, leading to stress and unease.' In order to avoid this try to pair red with other shades to create and maintain a balance of energies. 'Moderate the red with metallics to diffuse the intensity,' advises Suzanne.
All of these guidelines will help you to control the energy in your home during the holidays. Through all the chaos of the celebrations, at least your attention to Feng Shui will keep your space feeling calm and magical during the holidays.
