The living room holds significant importance in the realm of home Feng Shui. What are the Feng Shui considerations to be mindful of when decorating the living room? What are the key aspects to consider regarding Feng Shui in living room decor? And what constitutes suitable artwork for living room Feng Shui? Let’s delve into it.
In the realm of home decor, Feng Shui considerations for the living room are paramount. Here are some key points to bear in mind:
1. **Entrance Alignment:** The living room serves as the welcoming space for guests. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that upon entering through the main door, one is immediately greeted by the sight of the living room. Any layout requiring passage through bedrooms or kitchens before reaching the living area blurs the boundary between interior and exterior, compromising privacy and potentially leading to disruptions in both personal and professional spheres.
2. **Orderliness and Tidiness:** The living room serves as the hub for external communication. Hence, it should be maintained in a state of perpetual cleanliness and orderliness, free from clutter and debris. Prompt replacement of malfunctioning light bulbs or fixtures is imperative to foster familial cohesion and bolster individual prosperity.
3. **Ample Illumination:** As the ancients professed, “brightness in the hall, darkness in the room.” This adage underscores the necessity of abundant natural light and air circulation within the living space. A well-lit environment suffused with positive energy augments the prospects of good fortune.
4. **Unobstructed Flow:** The placement of furniture such as wine cabinets or cupboards against walls is imperative. Furthermore, sofas should ideally face either the main entrance or the television, never the rear exit. Positioning furniture in such a manner fosters harmonious interpersonal relationships and mitigates the risk of interpersonal conflicts or slanderous encounters. Additionally, it allows for heightened vigilance in the event of potential intrusion by malevolent actors. In detailing the Feng Shui orientation of the living room, its positioning holds paramount significance intertwined with the overall household’s fortune and vitality. Ideally situated in the anterior portion of the residence, the living room beckons auspicious energies upon guests’ arrival, aligning with the adage: “Welcoming guests through the main entrance invites auspiciousness.” Such vitality fosters a ripple effect, influencing broader fortunes, particularly crucial for those venturing into entrepreneurship or frequently traversing beyond their abode. For dwellings where the transition from entrance to living room traverses through corridors or passages, illumination becomes imperative, eschewing dimness for luminosity.
Moreover, the arrangement of living room furniture warrants thoughtful consideration. While some may gravitate towards avant-garde configurations for a touch of creativity, the haphazard placement of sofas, coffee tables, and entertainment units is ill-advised. Optimal placement adheres to structured arrangements, favoring geometrical forms like squares or rectangles for visual cohesion. Notably, the positioning of furniture, particularly the sofa, should eschew oppressive structural elements and angles prone to negative energy accumulation, instead gravitating towards auspicious sectors to fortify household fortunes.
Transitioning to the art of living room adornment, Feng Shui dictates suitable motifs for wall hangings. Among these, depictions such as the Nine Fish Painting, embodying longevity and prosperity with its portrayal of nine lively fish, symbolize enduring abundance and continuity. “Fish” symbolizes abundance and prosperity, with the connotation of surplus year after year. The Nine Fishes, also known as “Nine Auspicious Elements,” are mentioned in ancient texts. The Book of Songs describes, “Heaven preserves you, nothing will fail to prosper; rising and spreading, like hills and mounds, like ridges and hillocks, like the square and reaching rivers, nothing fails to increase; like the constant moon, like the rising sun, like the longevity of the South Mountain, unyielding; like the lushness of pine and cypress, none will decline, all will inherit.” This poem contains nine instances of “like,” all of them auspicious words. Because “like” sounds the same as “fish,” a painting of nine fish was named “Nine Auspicious Elements,” serving as an auspicious decorative painting. Fish belongs to the element of water in the Five Elements theory. Individuals born in summer and autumn are both deficient in the water element, making it particularly suitable to hang a painting of nine fish. The Three Sheep Painting depicts three sheep, commonly known as “Three Sheep Start Prosperity” or “Three Yang Open Prosperity.” The meaning of the Three Sheep Painting is to attract good luck and bring fortune. However, for those born in the Year of the Ox, Dog, or Rat, which are not compatible with the sheep, it is not suitable to hang the Three Sheep Painting. Hanging a painting of a spirited horse signifies soaring success. Horses belong to the element of fire in the Five Elements theory. Individuals born in spring and winter are both deficient in the fire element. Therefore, a horse with fiery characteristics can compensate for this deficiency. However, it is not advisable to hang a painting of a spirited horse in the south, as the horse’s hexagram belongs to heaven, and hanging it in the southern direction (where the element is fire) would result in “burning the heavenly gate.” This can lead to unfavorable occurrences in the household, such as headaches, dizziness, and coughing, as well as disputes between parents and children. If one’s zodiac sign is either rat or ox, it is deemed incompatible with the horse, hence it is advised against displaying images of galloping horses. As for the depiction of the phoenix, a mythical bird revered for its symbolism of conjugal harmony, when both phoenixes soar together, they signify marital bliss. The phoenix, as an auspicious creature, embodies multifaceted blessings. With attributes akin to the rooster, it is most auspicious for those born in the summer and autumn seasons. However, individuals born under the zodiac signs of rabbit or dog are cautioned against adorning their surroundings with phoenix imagery.
The depiction of a soaring azure dragon represents the invitation of auspicious connections and the repelling of malignant influences. When hanging a “soaring azure dragon” painting, the dragon’s head should face inward, signifying inward reverence, as opposed to outward, which may denote dispersion of focus. The placement of the dragon should be on the left side of the living room, avoiding positioning it on the right. Individuals born under the zodiac signs of dog or rabbit are advised against displaying images of the azure dragon.
Landscape paintings depicting natural scenes imbue a sense of harmony within the household, fostering relaxation and comfort. Such artworks are most conducive to individuals born in autumn. However, paintings featuring waterfalls or similar imagery are best avoided, as they may lead to fluctuating fortunes for the homeowner. Likewise, paintings depicting the setting sun should be avoided, as they may evoke a sense of lethargy and lack of vitality.
