Children, bring so much joy and mess into our lives. By mess, we mean that chaos of toys, crayons, puzzles, and all other things that kids love to play with. So at first glance, you might think that not even feng shui could bring peace and organization to their space. However, feng shui has a whole area dedicated to children’s creativity and wellbeing, so if you are willing to give it a chance, stay tuned.
Feng Shui Philosophy
The 5000 years old ancient Chinese method of bringing harmony and balance into space became widely popular over the past several years. In literal translation, feng shui means “wind and water,” and many believe that this philosophy brings prosperity, and peace; hence, today, many hotels, office buildings, banks, and homes, use environmental psychology and principles of feng shui when arranging their working and living space.
Feng shui promotes overall wellbeing, prosperity, and good health, by figuring out how energy flows through a specific room, building, etc. There are multiple ways to use feng shui, from determining the location of a house to the color and style of furniture, position of the plants, and other things. In its core, feng shui considers yin and yang, eight directions of the compass, five elements, mathematical calculations, and a Chinese horoscope. Based on all of these, an expert in this area called geomancer will try to find out what aspects of your home are out of balance.
What is Bagua?
Bagua is a feng shui energy map consisted of eight trigrams, and it is used to reveal the relationship between the specific area from our space and certain parts of our life. According to Bagua, the western parts of the house are usually connected to children’s wellbeing and creativity. There are eight areas of Bagua, and each one is linked to one of the five elements (metal, fire, wood, water, and earth). Each of these elements has its pairing shape and color, which is why it is so convenient to apply it into the interior design.
An element that is related to children and creativity, according to Bagua, is metal, preferably in white or grey color, and round shapes. This implies that for this area, it is best to use metal or earth because the earth is the element that nourishes it. It is believed that the presence of metal will bring efficiency, precision, clarity, and lightness to the person. Additionally, earth nurtures health, stability, and relationships.
How to Decor the West Bagua Area
For the enhancement of this area, you need to add elements that are joyful and bring happiness into your life. Some of the following tips and tricks you probably already have in the area you are looking to enhance, such as white walls. And a lot of other items are easy to be found, or you may have them; you just need to curate them into a well-balanced interior carefully.
If you have a specific intention on your mind, for example, to learn how to paint, you should insert items that are connected to that, such as art magazines, books, etc. By doing so, you are creating a more powerful energy flow that will lead you towards your achievement. So if you have a specific purpose on your mind, go for the items that are closely related to it. Otherwise, here are some of the more general home decor tips that work well for children and creativity areas.
- As we mentioned, the key element for the west Bagua area is metal, so any artsy, creative metals will do the trick. You can go for metal sculpture, clock, vase, picture frames, use any artwork that represents a metal gate, or depicts anything metal-made. So you do not have to have a piece of metal in your room literally, but it is recommended to include rounded shapes, as well as gray and white colors.
- Find art pieces that, for you, symbolize the flow of energy or creativity. It can be an abstract art piece; be mindful when it comes to the color scheme, and avoid any colors that represent water elements or intense fire. In the best-case scenario, the artwork should represent a sandy beach, mountains, or any other landscape and natural environment.
- Photos of your children are always a safe and easy solution. Choose photos that are happy and bring back some joyful memories of exciting and fun events. Besides photography, you can also display children’s drawings and paintings.
- Lighting is also important, and tall lights are particularly well for expanding the missing Bagua area. A tall lamp is the best solution for this purpose. However, make sure that the size of the lamp, color, and design, go along with the other things in the room, and that altogether it looks like one harmonical setup.
- Since the use of white and gray is highly recommended for west Bagua, you can use them to paint your walls. Besides those, earth colors such as beige, pale yellow, or sandy brown are also a great choice. All these tones are neutral, so they are easy to style and combine with other items in the room. Also, carpets, curtains, wallpaper, furniture, etc. can look good in these colors.
Does Feng Shui Work?
There are no scientific claims that could support or verify the spiritual aspects and benefits of feng shui. Feng shui is not some magical or mystical process; it is all very mindful, based on common sense and psychological insight. With feng shui, it is all about creating an environment that you will enjoy spending time in. Our brain responds well to harmony, balance, and tranquility, and that is exactly what feng shui strives to achieve in terms of space arrangement.
When we are not in peace, in balance, we struggle with mood swings, anxiety, and we generally do not perform well. The purpose of this philosophy is to turn your office space, room, or garden into a carefully and custom curated oasis. It creates an area you are drawn to. When you organize your space following the principles of feng shui, you will immediately boost your productivity in it, which is particularly essential for creative areas.
