The bedroom is sacred. It’s where beauty sleep happens, where energy resets, and where—let’s be honest—some of life’s best moments go down. To truly get the most out of your space, how you configure it matters.
Feng shui isn’t just a buzzword for “good vibes.” It’s an ancient Chinese art that arranges your environment to optimize the flow of energy—or qi—so that balance, joy, and prosperity can move freely through your life.
We tapped one of our favorite feng shui experts, architect Cliff Tan, to help us understand how to bring more positive energy into the bedroom and get that ahhh level of calm we all crave.
Protect Your Space with the Command Position
“In feng shui, there’s this spot called the command position, where your bed is located in the most protected part of the room,” Cliff tells us.
“This is ideally with your bed headed up against a nice wall. This means not with the window behind you, or worse, floating in the middle of the room!”
From where you sleep, Cliff says you should be able to see both the window and the door:
“Seeing the window gives you nice daylight energy and connection to nature, and the door allows you to see if anyone is coming in. Placing your bed this way allows you to subconsciously feel more protected, and removes any sense of uncertainty, which may affect your rest and sleep.”
Translation: a better layout equals better dreams.
Give Yourself a Hug (Metaphorically)
“Coziness is about creating a sense of closeness and feeling embraced,” Cliff explains. “The most obvious ways to achieve this would be to use soft, fluffy bedding, or choose a bed with a big padded headboard. This gives you the sense of comfort and being surrounded by a cushiony hug so you feel supported all the way around.”
But the secret sauce? Lighting.
“First, turn off the big ceiling light, because it only highlights any mess or imperfections. Then, place several points of indirect lighting, like a table lamp on your nightstand and some others in specific parts of your room. Make sure you place the lights close to the perimeters, so their glow can gently wash the walls. Ensure the lit-up areas near the lamps are organized and cute, so your eyes are drawn only to the nice stuff.”
Mood lighting isn’t just for romance—it’s for peace of mind.
Cliff Says Relax
A bedroom should feel like a deep exhale. “There are several ways to do this,” Cliff reminds us. “First, avoid things which might feel chaotic, such as mirrors [limit to one for fit checks], heavy electronic items like televisions, or flashing lights. Other things which may make [the space] feel more energetic would be spiky plants or even bubbling aquariums. Try to avoid these!”
Instead, bring in softness. “Add things that would make you feel calm, such as gentle art that evokes a sense of serenity, like landscapes. Try to avoid hanging pictures of your family or friends, as it might feel like they are watching you! This makes your mind less busy and allows you to slowly drift off to dreamland.”
Get Supported
Feeling emotionally supported while you rest is vital, Cliff says. “You may place pictures of you and your partner close to you, to remind you that you are loved (not family pictures, though)! Or you may place things that remind you of love, for example, a cuddly toy given to you by your best friend, or a book of supportive affirmations. You may consider placing things in pairs, too, like two lamps or two cute plushies.”
The key? “Have things that make you feel like you are not alone in this world (which, by the way, is totally true, no matter how you might feel otherwise!) and that you are surrounded by a warm, fuzzy feeling of protection and kindness.”
Consider it emotional feng shui.
Zero In
For those of us working, creating, or multitasking in our bedrooms (hi, small-space warriors), Cliff says boundaries are key.
“The trick is to position them in a way that you don’t see your desk from your bed, or your kitchen. If there is no way to hide your desk from view, you may consider using a little lace fabric like the ones your grandma used to use to cover your screen. Another clever way to hide irrelevant things is to use lighting. Place lamps away from the desk so that the desk and any stressful work items are hidden by the natural shadows, and the light only shines on the pretty stuff that you do want to see.”
So smart, right?
Your bedroom should hold you—physically, emotionally, energetically. With a few intentional shifts, you can turn it into your own calm cocoon, a space that feels safe, supported, and essentially, all you. Because when your qi flows, so does everything else.
Cliff Tan is an architect and globally recognized feng shui and spatial design expert known for his intuitive, modern approach to creating harmonious spaces.
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