Design a Bathroom with Feng Shui
Bathrooms get a bad rap in feng shui. I get it, they are used for…well… elimination. So symbolically, they are aligned with energy leaving the home. They are dominated by draining water, which can lead to an unstable energetic environment. This draining vibration is not a positive water resonance, but you can slow down and control it with a beautiful intentional design. Let me walk you through 3 bathroom design basics:
1. Placement of the bathroom: some best feng shui practice guidelines
If you have the luxury of being able to plan and design your bathroom(s), and you are working with an understanding builder or architect, there are few things you can avoid when deciding where and how to lay out a bathroom. With everything in feng shui it depends, but here are some basic placement and layout guidelines that you can follow:
- Avoid a front door bathroom (powder room) alignment
- Try not to place the bathroom in the center of the home
- Avoid placing the bathroom directly off of the kitchen
Watch my video for tips on how to adjust the issues above
Working with what you have -- If you don’t have the luxury of being able to redesign your bathroom from scratch you can use smaller décor and design features to adjust the space.
2. Balance the Elements
Remember I mentioned something about the water (water = money and resources) draining away? I am going to teach you how you can use a feng shui energy system called the five elements to correct this draining water energy. There are five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. It is way to describe types of energy, reflected in nature and our lives. I have detailed article where you can learn the basics about them here. The key feng shui take away is that these elemental energies can balance each other out. Harmony in a space is achieved when the energy is balanced and appropriate. In the case of the bathroom, you will be balancing water by adding its counterpoint, the earth element. The earth element will slow, and block the water. You can also add the wood element as it will draw the energy upward away from the drains. It will also “drink” the excess water in the space. Together both elements work to control the water imbalance.
Wood element idea #1 → A healthy green potted plant 6–8″ inches
Wood element idea #2 → A piece of artwork: trees, greenery, bamboo
Earth element idea #1 → River washed stones or a piece of natural crystal/stone
Earth element idea #2 → Yellow towels or a yellow pot
Another simple adjustment: Shifting the negative vibration of the bathroom can done by adding an energy modulator, such as a feng shui crystal. Learn more about what a feng shui crystal is here.
3. Beautiful design means great feng shui
Need more feng shui bathroom design inspiration? Here are some feng shui tips and tricks you can incorporate into your bathroom redesign and refresh.
Simplify: Clean lines, no-fuss, no extras, beautiful but simple
Natural finishes: subtly bring the outdoors in, this helps you to recharge and destress. Check out my tour of a beautiful spa for inspo.
Use colour: simply by using the colours of the elements you can balance the energy of the bathroom. Wood and earth colours are your best bet if you are unsure of which to use: wood = greens and earth = yellows.
Clean and clear: good lighting, organized, remove old and unused items, clean the mirrors.
Be intentional: by doing the above you will be mindfully designing your space. You can set the intention as you decorate and redesign to shift the energy, this is especially powerful for a bathroom that may not be in an optimal location.