Feng shui (風 – wind; 水 – water) is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging the interactions between people and their environments through careful, considered design and management of a space. This practice originated in China over 3,000 years ago, and today feng shui is used to balance the energy of rooms, offices, and homes around the world to provide comfort, harmony, and a positive energy for people living and working in these spaces.
At Future Fitouts we are dedicated to creating spaces that are truly livable, workable, and enjoyable – which is why we incorporate feng shui office ideas into our design and workspaces. We wanted to touch on some of the energy balancing and harmonising techniques we use to bring calm, positivity, and powerful energy into your feng shui office setup.
Speak to our team in Brisbane to find out more about how we can help you with your office fitout Brisbane wide or view our project portfolio to see some of our previous fitouts. Speak to our team on 1300 368 461 today.
Principles of Feng Shui Office Design
Whether you’re a staunch science-driven realist or you’re someone who might have a couple of cheeky reiki sessions when you’re feeling low on energy, no one can deny that people and spaces have energy. Furthermore, it’s no denying that certain situations and environments build and create energy, while other spaces leave you feeling flat and exhausted.
For example:
Picture an office with dull, beige-tinged walls, harsh fluorescent lighting, and no natural light. Maybe some wire cable hangs from the ceiling where a fan was supposed to be installed. Imagine cubicles with computer monitors glimpsing over the top of partitions, and a break room with a random choice of teabags or powdered coffee in jars. Got that image in your head? Good.
Now, switch it. Imagine an office full of natural light, with plenty of lush green plants exuding fresh oxygen, and fresh white walls with splashes of colour here and there from fun artwork on the walls. Imagine as well, the soft background noise of some gentle piano playing from a sound dock in the common area. A break room is in the corner with a selection of herbal teas and fresh water available from a dispenser for everyone to drink whenever they need refreshment.
How did you feel in the first office scenario? Drained? Exhausted? Depressed! And how did you feel in the second scenario? Rejuvenated, energised and alive? Feng shui is the practice of looking at the environments we have built and incorporating natural elements to ensure that we feel in harmony with our surrounds. There are a number of principles to explore with feng shui, but we will cover just a few of the key elements here for ease of understanding, and then explore how you can incorporate some feng shui practices into your office.
- The Commanding Position – you want to ensure you can see the door of any space without having your back to the door. That way you can see the door (and any perceived ‘threat’ that might come through it) without having your back to it. The commanding position is used to position furniture and items in a space to provide the best possible balance of energy.
- The Bagua Map – this is an ancient eight-sided map which is used to balance out the elements of your office. By applying this Bagua map to a room or space and focusing on the eight designated areas you can bring balance into certain areas of your life such as money, wealth, fame, growth, and more. There are specific ways of incorporating feng shui into your workplace with everything from desk position through to cash register placement, art choices, plants, and more. Read more about the Bagua map here.
- Natural Elements – wood, earth, fire, water, and metal are our natural elements, and feng shui works to incorporate a balance of these elements in your home.
When we implement feng shui practices, we are looking to balance the five elements in line with the Bagua map of positioning furniture and arranging your space. Of course, there are ways of incorporating feng shui into your office without rigidly adhering to the practice. Let’s take a look at some now.
How to Incorporate Feng Shui Workplace Tips
Whether you are looking to reorganise your entire workplace or want to start with something smaller, we have a couple of key tips to help you make the most of your working area. The Bagua map is a great place to start, but if you don’t have the time or capacity to get involved with your office feng shui arrangement or don’t have the room to move things around much – consider implementing some feng shui tactics for your desk.
By reorganising your desk, you will ensure greater productivity and increased focus in the workplace. Try it for yourself and see if you notice a difference.
Top Tips for Your Feng Shui Office Setup
Some general tips for feng shui in your office are helpful for the shared spaces where meetings take place, or where your break room is.
- Pay attention to to your workspace and always consider where your furniture is positioned and how you are facing in your office to ensure you are seated in a good commanding position. Something as simple as moving your desk around can work wonders.
- Work with greenery and plants in your office space to nourish your energy and bring you peace and positivity.
- Choose artwork that provides a happy and joyful focus for everyone. You want to bring colour into your space and use the Bagua map to your advantage here – use the colours and shapes to balance your workspace as much as you can.
- Clear away clutter and ensure that shared and common spaces are kept clean and tidy – this can work wonders for the energy of a workplace.
Contact us for feng shui office design in Brisbane
We hope you have enjoyed these peaceful and powerful feng shui office ideas you can implement in your workspace. Although we are not feng shui experts, we are the people to talk to about Brisbane office fitouts and are committed to providing exceptional workspaces for our clients, no matter the industry or workspace. Explore our previous work and see what Future Fitouts can do for you.
Contact us today to request a quote and find out more about our service. We would love to answer any questions you have about a feng shui workplace, office design, or anything else that’s on your mind – so call us on 1300 368 461 today.