Working in an office can be fun with the right decor. Your office may have an outdated desk, some picture frames or a pot with a dying plant. Updating your office feng shui and surrounding yourself with positive energy can revitalize you to take on the workday.
Consider how your environment affects you. Do you bump into your desk or file cabinet? Does your chair get stuck when you try to adjust or turn it? Can you barely get your office door open because of clutter? A calming, lively space is priceless — especially if it helps you feel more at ease while working. Consider feng shui office ideas from Arnold’s Office Furniture to help your area become a more welcoming, flourishing atmosphere.
Feng shui is the practice of arranging furniture, decor and other pieces in a room, such as an office, to incorporate harmony and positive energy. “Feng shui” consists of the Chinese words for “wind” and “water.” This phrase focuses on the idea that life is connected to the environment and nature. This means that the flow of a room can affect your energy levels or moods.
Feng shui is more than moving your desk or potted plant to a new spot. This 3,000-year-old concept consists of guidelines that help you align your pieces with intent and meaning. It emphasizes the importance of creating and designing an area that forces you to consider the small details in the spaces of your life. The essential principles of feng shui include:
The yin and yang principle is another important aspect of feng shui, representing the essence of nature, change, equilibrium, balancing characteristics and natural cycles.
Now that you know more about feng shui, there are steps to creating a feng shui office layout. To begin, think about one to three areas in the office that you want to improve. You spend much of your time in your office throughout the week, which means that you should be patient with making changes to such an important area. For a work environment, think about how you can design your office for feng shui by adjusting everyday items. This new flow can help with productivity, success and provide a more inviting space.
Even if your personal desk or cubicle is a small space, you can find ways to incorporate feng shui practices to maximize it. Even minimal changes can make a difference, but consider the objects that you use the most to find the best ways to incorporate balance for feng shui. If you don’t work in a cubicle, you should arrange your office for feng shui by following the same guidelines with more space. Arnold’s has feng shui office design tips for a personal cubicle or general area.
You spend most of your day in a chair. An old, uncomfortable chair can distract you and make you restless during the workday. A low-quality chair can also force you to take time away from your work and lessen your focus by stepping away from your desk to stretch and ease your pain. Value your back support and comfort with a high-backed chair that provides stability throughout your day.
Supportive chairs can bring feng shui in your cubicle as they are also believed to provide protection. If you share your office with another person, ensure that your chairs are not facing back to back, as this close proximity can create conflict. Try to break up these areas with plants or other objects for more energy flow, or use an open plan workstation to maximize the room.
Ensure that you have enough space behind and around your cubicle, desk or chair. This will help you easily get in and out of your cubicle and create more room for better energy flow around you. The areas of space around you represents your ability to grow and change as you meet your personal and career goals.
Remove any obstacles such as large garbage cans, piles of boxes, unneeded equipment or dangling wires. These obstacles represent blocks that make it difficult for you to manage daily tasks, which affects your career. You can remove or rearrange these challenges to achieve a good flow and feng shui layout.
Overcrowded cabinets and stuffed drawers will frustrate you when trying to find something you need. Keep all of your stationery, papers, computer and telephone cords well-organized and within reach for easy access. A cluttered space will generate a cluttered mind, hindering the flow of creative energy. Creating a more organized office can increase productivity and efficiency by encouraging mental clarity and allowing energy to flow around you more easily.
Your desk is where you spend most of your time, and the feng shui layout calls for this to be positioned to sit in a place of power or command. You should see who is entering the room and the energy coming your way. Your desk can also sit in the middle of the room for optimal flow and space around you for positive energy.
At the very least, ensure that your back is not facing a door or window. If your desk is at a cubicle, try placing a small mirror at your desk so you can see the entrance or opening of any doors behind you.
The mandala of the feng shui Bagua has eight areas and you in the center. This mandala can be placed over an entire office area, room or even a desk. Think about where you tend to become disorganized or what areas clutter up the most. This could reflect issues or negative connections to different areas of your life. Jumbled spaces can disrupt this flow and affect partnerships, wealth, abundance and other related career elements.
Determine which of the eight Bagua are the most essential for your space — in your office, they might be career, wealth or knowledge — and keep these areas free of obstacles.
The decor, color and artwork in your office can affect your energy and flow of the space. Surround yourself with pale, muted or soft colors that calm and soothe you for better flow. Find a design that inspires you and symbolizes what you want to accomplish in your career. Consider what decor you can include to remind you of your goals while pleasing you visually and complimenting your office.
If your office has windows, take advantage of the natural light. Fluorescent and artificial lighting can cause visual and neurological fatigue after many hours. You can also use the windows for fresh air and wind movement, elevating your productivity and enabling creative energy. You can also add wind chimes to incorporate soothing sounds and extra movement.
Try to place your desk and furniture so that the window is at your side. If it’s directly in front of you, you may become distracted by the view.
Aromatherapy is a good feng shui item for your office. You can uplift your energy and create a calming space with essential oils or other subtle scents. Add stimulating scents that help with concentration, such as lavender or peppermint. Diffusing calming oils in your office can create the balance that feng shui promotes, but make sure that your colleagues are comfortable with the scent.
Adding a balance of the elements while keeping your furniture arranged for your intentions will keep feng shui present in your office. There is some controversy about including the fire elements — such as candles or red lighting — in your office, as they are sometimes associated with anger and frustration. However, some might feel that candles are relaxing and inviting. You can decide which elements feel best as you incorporate them. Be sure that they complement and support each other.
Consider adding more plants and water features, such as a small table fountain, to help relax everyone in the office with soothing sounds. Plants are easy to add to any office setting, and you can find ceramic pottery to put them in that adds natural earth tones. Plants also act as air purifiers for better indoor air quality and stimulate positive energy, so incorporate low-maintenance potted plants in the office or cubicle for better flow.
Metal and wood elements are also beneficial, and you can add them through furniture or small, meaningful statues on your desk. Still, plant and water objects are favorable in the office to create positive energy.
There are many different benefits to feng shui in addition to the organized, free-movement layout. Creating balance and room for positive energy in your office is key to improving your mood and connecting to the Bagua areas. Other benefits of feng shui are:
You may want to incorporate feng shui for success, prosperous direction or positive energy. Regardless, its principles will ensure that your personal and office energies will harmonize to help you achieve a higher self.
Some common mistakes can disrupt your desired flow. We gathered some feng shui room layout mistakes to avoid in your office.
Having your desk right next to the door keeps you close to the energy entering the room, which is not always positive. You should be able to see the door and the majority of the room. The best place for this is usually diagonally across from the entrance.
Your furniture also plays a role in the feng shui flow and layout — pieces with sharp angles and corners can harm your energy. These are also known as poison arrows in feng shui, which is harmful energy pointed towards you or the door in the form of sharp angles. Try to find rounded, softer shapes to avoid this negative energy flow. This will also prevent you from bumping or grazing into sharp corners and objects, which will eliminate unnecessary frustration and help you stay on task.
Avoid images that don’t motivate or inspire you when decorating your office. Decide which photos, quotes, mottos or art represent success and abundance to you and how they help you see a clear path to your goals. You can even keep photos of your family, friends and other supporters in your office to remind you of the people that encourage you. However, too many personal decor items can also be distracting, so try to limit it to a few pieces.
Along with decor, the colors in your office should also reflect the energy that you want to feel. Every color represents a new meaning. For example, white can emphasize mental focus, green stimulates progress and blue inspires clarity. Intense, bright colors can be a little overwhelming or overstimulating after many hours, so try to find muted, inviting shades.
A water cooler in the office won’t necessarily fulfill the elemental category of feng shui. Instead of randomly sticking plants and metal objects around your desk or office for balance, be intentional with where you place them. Choose visually appealing plants that are easy to maintain. Otherwise, you may become forgetful and neglect the plant.
You can find alternatives for water sounds if small water fountains don’t soothe you, such as water imagery, mirrors or a fishbowl. You can also incorporate the elements through their colors if you have trouble finding decor or imagery that suits your tastes. Find personalized ways to add the elements to your office to connect you with your environment and bring their qualities into your life.
While you may think that your desk or office area is organized, consider the extra objects on your desk. For example, unless you use a stapler, calculator or other office supplies frequently — they can probably go in the drawers or in a cabinet. Consider the objects you need to use daily, such as a calendar, planner or notepad, and keep those items handy.
Your desk should be free and clear of anything you don’t need consistently. Use any means of storage that keep miscellaneous objects out of sight and nearby if you need to use them. Try to eliminate clutter in all areas, including the floor or bookshelves. An office with unnecessary clutter, including sticky notes, water bottles and stray pens and pencils, can make you feel out of control over your space and impair your confidence at work.
Bring balance and organization to your office with Arnold’s. We can help your business take advantage of this design style with our knowledgeable team of professionals. We help you design and organize your office according to the feng shui principles and elements while incorporating your style and functional needs.
According to feng shui, every object around us influences our lives. In an office space, this means furniture like desks, chairs, cubicles, conference tables and other objects. We house all of these products in various styles, colors, sizes and storage capabilities. Our products and unique designs will ensure that your office space reaps the benefits of feng shui and incorporates the Bagua mandala. From commercial, multiple-person and executive desks to quality high-back chairs for optimal support, Arnold’s has you covered.
The design of your office space is essential for productivity and success. Our furniture and products will ensure that the layout of your office floor or building is balanced, usable and welcoming.
Arnold’s Office Furniture is the solution for all your office needs. We take on exciting projects to help create a balanced and organized space. We offer office layout design services and can help furnish your entire building with the many options we offer. If you’re interested in adding feng shui principles to the entire office, our open plan workstations allow easy collaboration and energy flow. We also offer multiple cubicle designs, including our popular Sunline Signature Cubicles.
With Arnold’s, you can also improve your conference, reception and lounge areas where many different energies accumulate. We want to help you create the calming and positive office you deserve. Our team can design, deliver and install the products you need.
Call today at (610) 272-2050 or request a quote online for your office design project.
Written by:
Alissa has over 25 years of experience in the office furniture industry. For many of those years, Alissa was a Senior Interior Designer. She then took her love of design and working with customers to the sales realm and has been dedicating her knowledge there ever since. Learn more about Alissa!
