Feng shui bedroom guide: bed position, mirrors and colours

Where to put the bed

• Headboard against a solid wall. It gives a sense of support. Avoid a window directly behind the head if you can.
• See the door without lying in line with it. Feet pointing straight out of the door is traditionally avoided; a diagonal view of the door is ideal.
• Not under a beam. If a structural beam crosses the bed, move the bed or soften the beam with a canopy or false-ceiling panel.
• Space on both sides for couples, so each person can get in and out easily.

Which way should your head point?

In Eight Mansions feng shui, your head ideally points toward one of your four good directions. Tian Yi (天医) is the traditional choice for rest and wellbeing, and Yan Nian (延年) for couples. Find your Kua number with the Kua calculator; for a couple with different groups, Home Harmony suggests a compromise.

Mirrors, screens and clutter

• Avoid a mirror that faces the bed directly; inside a wardrobe door is fine.
• Keep work desks and exercise equipment out of the bedroom where possible, or screen them at night.
• Clear the space under the bed. Stored clutter is the opposite of the calm, flowing qi a bedroom needs.
• Charge phones away from the pillow and keep lights low in the evening.

Colours by element

Soft, restful tones suit most bedrooms. To lean toward your favourable element: greens for Wood, warm peach and soft red accents for Fire, beige and terracotta for Earth, white, grey and cream for Metal, and deep blue for Water. Your BaZi reading lists your own lucky colours.

Children's rooms

For children, sleep and study come first. Put the bed against a solid wall, keep the desk facing a good direction with a view of the door, and keep the room simple so it is easy to tidy. Calm routines matter more than any arrangement.

Common questions