Can I still use feng shui if I live in a very small apartment?

This is a question that comes up often! A lot of people think it would be more challenging to apply feng shui principles to a small space, but it doesn’t actually make a difference. I’m currently living in a renovation, so I’m essentially living in a really tiny space right now. I thought it would be good timing to answer this question and share some feng shui-inspired suggestions for small spaces.

First, define the entry in some way. Often, small living spaces mean that there is less distinction between the different areas of your home. The entry to your home represents how energy comes into your space, and it’s one of the most important areas to look at from a feng shui perspective. Try to find a way to define and differentiate it, whether that be through a welcome mat, a colorful accent wall, lighting, or furniture. You can also think of your own creative ways to do this!

Next, bring in as much light as possible. Most of my clients want more light in their spaces. All living things grow towards the sun, so having natural light is quite important. You can do this simply by bringing in more reflective materials, and placing a mirror strategically to reflect in a view. The color white is also very reflective. I love white ceilings and walls! It’s also helpful to make sure your windows are very clean, so they can bring in as much light as possible.

Lastly, if you can separate your work place from your sleeping place that is ideal. When those begin to intermingle, it’s hard to keep a well-balanced differentiation between life and work. After the past year, I think we’re all experiencing the line between work and home becoming blurred, and creating a defined space in your home can really help. You may not have a spare room to use as an office, but maybe you can carve out a dedicated corner where you will focus on work. If your bed and workspace are close together, do your best to create some visual separation between the two areas.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Separating personal from public space is important. Use a curtain to facilitate this separation in a studio apartment.

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Video Transcript:

Hello, I'm Anjie Cho, and today I will share with you some tips to separate an area in a studio apartment by using a curtain.

The most challenging aspect of living in a studio apartment is separating your public active space such as your living, dining, kitchen and work areas from your private passive sleeping area. It's very important to visually and physically separate your sleep and public areas when designing the layout of your studio apartment.

One way you can achieve this is with curtains. In this example I've used a ceiling mounted curtain track. There are also curtain wires that will work but in my experience, depending on how long the span is, the wire will begin to droop with the weight of the curtain and this doesn't look good. The ceiling mounted curtain tracks and rails are rigid and end up looking the cleanest. Regular curtain rods will also work well if you can mount the supports on the ceiling.

Make sure you get the correct types of screws and anchors for the ceiling you have. I have concrete slab ceilings here, so I used a hammering drill and concrete anchors. Be sure to measure out the space you have so the holes are located correctly.

In this application I used a semi opaque fabric so there is visual for that privacy but you still see some light pass through. If sound is an issue, it might be better to use a heavier fabric.

The other advantage of drapes is flexibility. When you need more space you can open it up like this because after all a studio is a small living space.

I'm Anjie Cho, and this is how to separate areas in a studio apartment by using a curtain.