Several homeowners don’t realize the potential their basement holds. Since the room is underground, it can be challenging to get the feng shui going. However, it’s not impossible. The greatest challenge of perfecting feng shui in the basement is balancing out the overwhelming amount of earth surrounding the room.
If you’re looking for feng shui basement layout ideas, you’re in luck. In this post, we’ll cover a few ideal layouts to boost your qi.
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng shui directly translates to “wind” and “water”. The idea of feng shui is to arrange the elements of your home in a certain way to attach yourself to the environment. In ancient Asian philosophy, feng shui helps humans create a bond with the natural world to create harmony.
The Chinese have been incorporating feng shui into their lives for over four thousand years. Today, it’s a worldwide practice and is increasing in popularity throughout the Western world.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how feng shui works and what each element means:
- Earth. The earth element represents strength and stability.
- Fire. Fire is a representation of expansion, power, passion, and transformation.
- Water. Water elements are related to inspiration and emotion.
- Metal. The metal elements combine all the other elements and withstand order.
- Wood. Wood represents growth and creativity.
The idea of a feng shui room is to bring peace and clarity to the mind of those inside. If you arrange things a certain way and incorporate the right elements, you can expect better health, wealth, and happiness.
However, feng shui is extremely extensive, and there are numerous different principles and practices. That said, understanding the basics of feng shui can set you in the right direction.
How To Add More Feng Shui to Your Basement
Furnished basements are becoming more prevalent in the United States. Roughly 9% of American homes have a furnished basement, and that number is expected to rise over the next few decades.
Here’s how to add more feng shui to your basement layout:
1.) Keep It Free of Clutter
Many homeowners use their basements for storage. It’s logical because it can keep all of your extra goods away from your primary living areas. However, the basement can quickly become overrun with clutter if you don’t keep up with cleaning.
The first step towards increasing your basement’s feng shui is to keep it organized. Everything that you don’t need, let it go gracefully. Getting rid of your goods can be tricky, especially if you have a knack for hoarding.
Not only will decluttering your basement make it look nicer, but it will also give you better clarity and organization in your life. Sometimes, we hold onto things that have little or no value because we’re afraid to “let go”. However, sometimes letting go can open up new doors and opportunities.
2.) Incorporate Nature Elements
Adding images of nature is an excellent way to bring more life into your basement. Although the basement has an overwhelming amount of earth around it, adding pictures of trees, waterfalls, cliffs, and other natural elements can make the closed-in space seem more expansive.
You can also get your hands on a beautiful wallpaper mural to truly add life to your basement. This will create an amazing atmosphere for you and your guests.
3.) Utilize Natural Lighting
One of the key elements of feng shui is lighting, especially natural lighting. However, it can be incredibly challenging to get enough natural lighting into your basement given its location. If you’re up for a little renovation, consider installing more windows or natural light bulbs. The natural lightings will drastically boost the room’s qi levels.
4.) Keep Your Plumbing and HVAC Systems Well Maintained
One reason many people avoid the basement is that it can have a musty smell. Basements tend to be damp and can rack up a foul odor if you don’t keep your plumbing and HVAC systems in order. Since the room is damp, mold and bacteria can grow on the ceiling, walls, and floors.
Make sure you perform regular maintenance on your pipes, air conditioner, heating system, and other appliances to keep your room smelling pleasant all year round.
Final Thoughts
While feng shui is an ancient practice, nothing is stopping you from adding it to your basement layout. As long as you pay attention to the basics and continue to expand your knowledge on the practice, you can add a better atmosphere to your home.
Now that you know how to get started, apply one or more of the above basement layout ideas to your own basement and start to feel the benefits of feng shui.