What is the Chinese Method of Furniture Arranging?

Feng shui, or the Chinese art of arrangement, is an ancient method that determines how to arrange furniture and artwork in a room. By placing furniture in beneficial positions, feng shui can improve a room that might have previously felt too cluttered or impersonal.

The Feng Shui Bagua

Feng shui, the Chinese art of placement, can help you determine the best way to arrange your furniture.

Feng shui practitioners use an eight-sided grid called a bagua to determine where to place furniture in a room. The bagua is designed as a compass, with each side relating to a particular direction.

Eight Aspirations

Feng shui is said to improve health, wealth and happiness, simply by aligning the furniture in a room.

The eight directions of the bagua are known as the "eight aspirations." These include knowledge, health, wealth, fame, marriage, children, helpful peers and career.

Activating an Aspiration

In order to "activate" an aspiration, a feng shui practitioner will align a piece of furniture toward that aspiration's direction. To increase a couple's wealth, she might place her bed so that she sleeps facing the southeast.

Feng Shui and Clutter

In feng shui, the flow of energy in a room is instrumental to the well-being of its inhabitants. If a room is too cluttered, rearranging the furniture might help "unblock" the energy and improve the room.

Recent Revival

Businesses in China regularly consult feng shui experts.

In recent years, feng shui has undergone a revival in the East. Chinese businesses regularly consult feng shui experts, hoping to gain an edge in the marketplace.