A working environment within the home can be difficult Feng Shui, as the energy from this area can affect the entire house. More Yang (work) energy is likely to gather in the home office area of the home because contact with the outside world will be the greatest in this room. The home office is best located in close proximity to the front door of the home and should have a separate entrance for clients. This room should not be of an irregular shape and have any exposed ceiling beams. If your home office is a shared room, please use a screen to try and separate the rooms.
Placement of Your Desk
Your desk should not be placed directly under a window as this will disturb the flow of chi. Your office desk should be situated so you can view the entry door into your office and your back should be against the wall. A good option is to position your desk on an angle and to place your chair into a secured corner; there should be no windows behind you when you are in a corner of a room. Your clients should be seated in front of you in a smaller chair with their backs to the door. If your back is to your clients as they enter your office it symbolizes an absence of power and control. If you are using a built in desk that is built into the wall and cannot be turned around, please install a mirror over the desk so it can capture a view of the door way into the office. Since most homes in the United States are missing the Fire element, why not install a mirror with a red frame?
Components of Your Office
Since computers, printers, scanners, and all your other business equipment are very yang, the additional of greenery is always a good thing. Green plants are very Ying and can help diffuse the yang energy. Please make sure your desk is clutter free and all storage units are not taller than your desk. Shelves that are built into the wall over your desk can be oppressive. Aspirational images should be hung in your office. Good lighting and bright colors can all support success in your home office. Please make sure there is nothing stored behind the door that would prevent it from being fully opened; this would symbolize a restricted flow of auspicious opportunities in your career. If you are not sure how to place the objects on your desk for optimal Feng Shui, the Baqua Map can also be applied to a small space such as desk. For example, the Love and Marriage quadrant falls in the back right corner and the colors to use are reds, pinks, and white. You could setup a photo of you and your partner in a white picture frame on the right corner of your desk.
It is important to keep your work life separate from the rest of your life, especially when you work from home. Any obstacles that keep a door from opening fully need to be removed immediately to increase the flow of prosperity. When arranging your home office please make sure your main furniture pieces have a view of the entry door, this will influence your outlook on life. Always use the Baqua Map if you are not sure where to place an object in a room or even on a smaller surface such as a desk.
Feng Shui is a Chinese Philosophy that has been around for 3,000 - 5,000 years and is based on the art of placement. If any of your rooms so not feel right when you walk into them, you may benefit from a Feng Shui design consultation.
Kate Case, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior redesign, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, and more. Call Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .
Excellent post, Kate, as always and a FEATURE IN FENG SHUI FOR REAL ESTATE. The principles of Feng Shui can be complex and you always do such a wonderful job of breaking them down and making them understandable (is that a word? :)
Thanks for the great post Kate
I'm always interested in learning about the concepts of Feng Shui
Kate, would love to reorient my desk but simply cannot. Since clients do not come into my home office is the mirror still the best remedy?
Great info. My office is so small it is hard to position my desk as you suggested but I will try to see what I can do. Thanks!
Carole ~ As always, thank you very much for all your support and kind words! Everything in life can be simple if we all take a step back and break things into smaller pieces ;-)
Milan ~ You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Ginger ~ It depends, on the placement of your desk within your office space also. Do you have any view of the door? If you do not, you may want to consider hanging a mirror over your desk.
Wanda ~ Thanks, it is always better to face anyone entering your office. It may be time for a new, smaller desk ;-)
Hmmm. My desk is facing the door, so that's good, but there's a window behind me. I really don't think I can configure it in any other way without having to lose some furniture I need. But I do have a couple of portfolios behind my door, and I'm removing those right now!
Cathy ~ After you remove the portfolios from behind your door, keep an eye out for some career opportunities ;-)
Kate - Great job of explaining the home office to those of us that aren't quite feng shui yet! It can get very confusing for the novice but this really helped. Thanks.
Hi Kate,
Thank you for the information about using Feng Shui to bring success to the home office. You made it so easy to understand. I will have to use the mirror above my desk. I am going to enjoy re-doing my home office using Feng Shui. Thank you so much for the easy to follow guide.
Rita
From the desk of David Dee,
Kate, enjoyed your suggestions regarding the arrangements of the furnitures in the office. Many people don't realized the importance of situating the desk and chair as it portrays authority and power, which is the essence of what we want to portray to clients. This shows them that we have confidence. Another thing is to have the clients seated in smaller chairs and this is self explantory. Having the wall behind us brings support for our foundation so it is essentially important.
David Dee ~ You are exactly right! The desk placement and the size of the chairs are very important in an office setting. Thanks for posting. Kate
Good suggestion about applying the Bagua to the desk top as well. I've always kept a photo of my husband and myself in the back right corner - didn't know I was using the perfect spot for it!
Wow, Kate. I don't know if it was removing the things I had behind the door or not, but I've been soooo busy this spring! Maybe I better take a look at the position of the furniture again!
Kate, thanks for sharing. What happens if my home offce doesn't have a door? Do I still treat the wide opening like one? Thank yoU!
I brought my computer to the kitchen table so I could keep and eye on grandchildren, do household chores, and pretty much be in the middle of things. I thought my upstairs office space was too far away from the action. But my back is toward the door. I'll sit on the other side of the table and work on keeping my workspace neater.