Feng Shui For Your Bedroom: Rules For What To Bring In & Keep Out

The bedroom should be a place of rest, romance, and relaxation—and nothing else. Since we tend to spend upward of eight hours a day in this sacred space, we should try to maximize its feng shui to its fullest potential.

Before getting started, I recommend a quick decluttering and energy clearing to bust through any negativity in the air.

Consider burning sage, palo santo, or cedar to cleanse the space of negative energy. This will ensure that you have a fresh foundation on which to build the bedroom's chi (life force energy).

In feng shui, certain colors are thought to promote maximum sensuality and peaceful vibes in the bedroom and promote restful sleep.

One word of caution: Don't overdo it on the peach! It is thought to be very effective at attracting a partner—so effective that we need to use it with care.

If you paint your whole bedroom in peach, chances are that you will attract someone, and then someone else, and someone else... Consider instead using peach as an accent tone on pillows, throws, and small objects.

While accent walls and wallpapers can be tempting, they should be kept to a minimum and also have gentle colors and limited pattern.

Another way to quickly promote harmony and relaxation in your bedroom is to switch up the layout.

The most important piece of furniture to pay attention to is your bed, and you want to make sure it's in what's known as the "command position."

This means placing your bed so you can see the entry door when you are lying in it (here's a more in-depth primer on how to position your bed according to feng shui).

Placing your bed on the same wall as your door is thought to make you feel threatened, like someone might surprise you in your sleep.

Speaking of beds, they should always have a headboard.

In feng shui, headboards provide a feeling of support in life. If you have a box spring only, you can get a headboard separately, but make sure to attach it very well to the bed so it doesn't wobble.

When choosing a headboard, go for one that has soft edges whenever possible. Heavy cast-iron headboards or ones that have bars have that same "cutting" energy you're trying to avoid in such a relaxing space.

In feng shui, pairs are thought to promote loving, harmonious energy, so outfit your bedroom for two people—even if you're not currently in a relationship.

You'll want to consult a bagua map to see what elements to pull into your space.

For example, if your bedroom falls in the health and family area, where the dominant element is wood, try to incorporate greens and blues in order to sustain that element.

In our busy modern lives, we spend a LOT of time hunched over a screen. So why not make your bedroom one completely tech-free sanctuary?

In feng shui, it's said that mirrors in front of the bed invite a third person into the marriage. Mirrors are also thought to reflect energy around a space, which could disrupt your sleep.

Swap out tall wardrobes and pieces of furniture that make you feel oppressed when you lie in bed.

This may be a controversial stance, but in feng shui there is such a thing as too many houseplants—especially in the bedroom. Their energy is thought to be too yang—too strong and growth-oriented—and thus it can mess with the relaxing vibe you're going for.

Just like you shouldn't keep anything threatening above your bed, there shouldn't be anything below it either. Clutter under the bed can create unnecessary stress and headache, even if you don't realize it at first.