How to Feng Shui An Office

Feng shui literally translates to “wind and water” and relates to arranging your home in ways that reflect balance. In a home that has been decorated and designed with feng shui in mind, there is a focus on private vs. public spaces, color and energy flow, or qi.

There is energy in the directional layout of your office. Within the feng shui energy management field, the colors are blue to the north, green to the east, red to the south, and grey to the west. Additionally, each direction has a focus of the elements necessary for a productive life.

 

• North: Success and career with an element of water
• West: Creativity and relationships with an element of metal
• East: Health with an element of wood
• South: Reputation and public image with an element of fire

Your employee meeting space where everyone gets together to bounce ideas around should include yellow for conviviality and communication, particularly in the direction of south/southwest. If the north wall of this space is also yellow, consider adding an aquarium to incorporate water into the space in that direction.

If your shared space features images of your employees on retreats or receiving rewards, be sure to put that artwork on the south wall. Consider adding red matting to the images or discussing a red accent wall with your painting company Las Vegas to promote even more positive recognition energy to these images.

Place a wooden bookcase on the east wall and load at least one shelf with books on career expansion; southeast is the direction of money and wealth while northeast is the direction of education. Finally, consider adding a mirror to the west wall, preferably with a metal frame. Mirrors bounce light around and clear away any dark corners. West is the direction of descendants. Northwest is the direction of mentors, so if you have room for a private conversation area, place it here.

Your individual office will have to have a desk and a computer. Make sure you set your desk in the command position of being able to face the door diagonally so you can command the whole space. You can also enhance your office space energy by adding a plant, pretty crystals, an aquarium or a small fountain. In a room that has no natural light, you may also need to add a small grow light for your plants.

In the study of feng shui, we find that colors can

• improve relationships
• boost our creativity
• calm or soothe
• make us more productive

When discussing your decor choices with your commercial painter, consider putting these principles to work in different ways.

For example, red is considered to be a great color to increase productivity. Adding an accent wall in a shared workspace that features red wainscoting can improve the chances that folks will find this a great place to dig into their work. If at all possible, put this color on the southern walls for the best energy balance.

The direction and flow of energy matter a great deal when choosing colors. Accent walls can have a positive impact on your facility. If your business logo features a particular blue, discuss adding that blue color on the northern walls of your business for a sense of calm and purpose in that direction.

If your office needs to do deep analysis of critical data, your painting company may be able to help you choose tones of purple and grey for focus and intention.

Learn more about easy DIY projects for your rooms here.

Once the painting contractors are finished, you will need to go to work on the furniture. If at all possible, use wooden furniture to increase the natural elements in the space and for general durability.

If the desks in your office need to match or if you’re in charge of setting up all the cubicles, at least try to add wooden side tables in the lobby. As possible, put plants in each space to make sure that there is some natural element in each corner of the office space.

In the spaces where your staff will meet with clients, do your best to keep the energy consistent but not excessively high. If you are bringing in clients to discuss your financial service offerings, you want blues to encourage deep thinking and greens to focus on monetary abundance. Adding accent walls with the help of your Las Vegas painter and putting in plants can cover this need.

You also want to use the colors of conviviality and connection, such as yellows and oranges. Imagine what adding a bouquet of daffodils could do to your lobby! A simple arrangement could add creamy yellows, deep greens and the energy of spring.

The use of natural light is critical in feng shui design, but the placement of windows and doors is also extremely important. If you have a window directly opposite the front door, the energy flow may focus there and leave the rest of the room feeling flat. Consider adding a sheer drape or vertical blinds to this window to avoid a direct energy loss and add a light source further into the room.

If you can’t have fresh flowers in your space, you can still find other ways to add scent. In a busy office, the end of a long day can leave everyone feeling tired and a little draggy. When folks are tired they are prone to making errors or feeling upset simply because they don’t have the emotional energy to be flexible anymore.

Consider finding a spot to add a scent diffuser. Citrus scents can help increase concentration throughout the office. If you have the chance to close your door, you may want to try frankincense or rosemary. Citrus oils tend to be generally acceptable; some people may not appreciate the more intense fragrances of cyprus and cedarwood. Be careful with the more intense scents.

There are many who consider feng shui to be rather new age. However, this method of energy balance has actually been around for thousands of years. If you are considering updating your office space before your employees return from working at home, contact your commercial painting company for a conversation about updating the space. Feng shui can be quite subtle and go a long way toward improving the comfort level of your employees, clients and visitors.