An otherwise cool bedroom made a bit bizarre by the inclusion of overhead shelving where pictures rest over your head while you sleep.
While I’ve already given you many posts on bad feng shui bedrooms, there are many generally less-than-great things that can affect your bedroom feng shui. Here are 5 more offenders in the bedroom feng shui arena!
Although I don’t want to be perceived as a hater on interior design (I loveeee interior design!), I do want to help you to understand why certain decor elements can affect your life feng-shui wise and how to spot them in a space. Many of my long-time readers and clients will start to guess things that might be generally wrong with certain rooms before reading what I have to say, and I love that!
#1- Overhead, over-bed shelving. No one needs storage badly enough to take this risk. This past summer I lived n Brooklyn and I woke to the sound of what I thought was an explosion. Turns out the professionally-installed and graded shelves in a boutique down the block just mysteriously collapsed overnight. If you were sleeping underneath them, what would have happened? Exactly. Avoid this one!
#2- Mirrors over the bed. It is a rare and strange occasion that I recommend this to anyone, and if I do, the mirror is both lightweight and practically glued to the wall. Not only does it present similar problems to #1, mirrors over the bed tend to toss energy away from the bed rather than welcoming you into the bed. (if you have no choice but to put your bed along a wall shared with a bathroom on the opposite side, it is one reason I might suggest it to you, but this is rare and strange for me to suggest!)
#3- Headless mannequins. Or mannequins in general. Soooo scary. If you are a designer living in a studio apartment, at the very least keep this clearly in your work area. I once entered the bedroom of a man with one of these “headless mannequins” that he used to decipher what outfit he would wear the next day. He is still very much single, 7 years later!
#4- Slanted walls over/ toward the bed. In these situations, I would suggest a very well-done canopy to lessen the severity of the sloping walls which make you feel smushed and pull your attention toward them. Our eye gravitates toward the strongest verticals in a space, and this is not what you want to focus on…!
#5- Ok, this one’s a trifecta of non-optimal stuff, so consider it a bonus image. Giant sofas in a bedroom (again, unless you live in a studio, and will need to keep it separate), non-substantial canopies (looks like an afterthought. not at all serving a purpose and somewhat weak in construction) and an open hamper-looking trunk at the foot of the bed… not to mention the crazy-busy walls full of patterned wallpaper, make this room difficult to get comfortable in, feng-shui wise as well as aesthetically.
Questions, comments, bedroom concerns… I’m all ears! Have fun setting up a bedroom that glows & flows! xoxo Dana
I would also add the angled placement of the dresser trapping chi and wasted space behind it to your expert and so on point list of bedroom feng shui no-nos. I sure wish interior designers knew what power they wield when creating spaces with unfortunate chi choices. I’m sure you do too Dana. Great article!!!
The mannequin indeed is scary.
I have come across animal heads mounted on bedroom walls. Not so romantic to have depictions of dead animals in the bedroom! Love your work!
thats a new one michelle! i’d love to see that! v:) thank you & happy new year!!!
What should I place over my dresser if it faces the bed and a mirror is a bad idea? I am working on making my bedroom a true place of retreat and relaxation (new headboard, lamps, nightstand, bed linens and curtains) and that spit is it’s blank. It feels weird and empty. Please help! Thanks!
Over-the-bed shelving is a perfectly reasonable interior design option if the shelves are installed by someone who knows what they’re doing and if the weight on the shelves isn’t extreme (i.e. no bowling balls). And yes, New Yorkers need storage badly enough.
My bedroom feels great but when I think of feng shui, it may be lacking.
We enter the bedroom through East.
Our bed headboard is on North ( feet towards south which is considered terrible)
Cannot place the bed in any other area.
One wall shares the wall to the walk in closet ( will also have bedroom door behind us)
One wall will be adjacent to the door.
The third wall has a slanting wall , but the slant is ascending. A very slight slant but the wall expands as it goes upwards ? Shall I move the bed there ?
Phew !!!!!!
i wish i could be more specific. you have to feel right sleeping where you place your bed.
Hi how about sprinkler above the headboard? We just move into an apartment and our masters has a sprinkler unit just above our headboard specifically in my husband’s side. Whenever he wakes up in the morning he always complains that he is tired. Thanks
notthat awesome. can you put a canopy on the ceiling?
Hi,
There’s a shelf already installed directly above my bed and as my bedroom is pretty small there isnt anywhere I could move the bed where it wouldn’t fall in other bad feng shui ‘zones’ e.g. facing windows/doors/mirrors. Is there anything I can do with the shelf above the bed to lessen the bad feng shui coming from it like maybe keep the load light or add some fairy lights around it – maybe placing crystals or stones on it? I’d really love your help. Thanks xo
nothing heavy on the shelf should help! 🙂
I have a canopy similar to the last picture over my bed, although it is from Bali, slightly bigger, and much more beautiful. However, I’m not convinced it’s good Feng Shui, as perhaps it holds energy over my head that needs to move? Thank you in advance!
you have to feel it for yourself. i’ve never experienced that feeling but if it’s real for you, follow it!