Feng Shui Tips For Choosing The Right Wallpaper Material For Your Space

Can you remember the last time you stepped into a room that just felt wrong, even if it had no furniture? It could be that the room's feng shui was off balance. While feng shui often focuses on the arrangement of actual objects within our homes, like kitchen appliances, beds, potted plants, and computers, the surrounding walls matter too. After all, feng shui's central goal is to balance the flow of chi in interior spaces, but it can be really hard to feel good in a room with horrible, distracting wallpaper. 

Many people know that paint colors, wallpaper patterns, and artwork can all influence the flow of chi in your home, but have you ever stopped to consider the material of your wallpaper itself? If you're planning to redecorate the walls in your home, it's worthwhile to splurge a little on the right wallpaper material for positive feng shui. Check out this handy guide for choosing the best wallpaper that will channel healthy, happy chi throughout your home.

According to feng shui, the materials all around you trap and conduct chi energy — for better or worse. Because walls have such a major impact on a space, it's important that your wallpaper is made of materials that promote balance and positive energy, rather than bounce negative energy around the room. For example, synthetic materials like plastic are considered bad in feng shui because they can block the flow of energy. On the other hand, wood is an excellent natural material to use, as is linen, cotton, and wool, especially in bedrooms. 

Because plant-based, natural fibers contain the best chi energy, the most suitable choice for good feng shui is organic wallpaper made from wood, bamboo, flax, fabric, or silk. As you're shopping for wallpaper, also look for non-toxic dyes in soothing colors like white, blue, beige, and green. Avoid busy prints and diagonal lines, as these generate chaotic energy, and instead opt for simple, soothing patterns or prints that mimic natural imagery, like trees, bamboo, or mountains. Finally, make sure to support companies with good labor practices and sustainable sourcing to ensure that the product will bring positive energy.

The material of your wallpaper also affects its ideal placement in your home. To help you determine which wallpapers should go in each room, lay a bagua map over the floorplan of your house. The bottom of the square bagua map should line up with your main entrance. Based on the overlay, the best places for wood-based wallpaper are the rooms in the upper left area of your bagua map. These rooms will be associated with wealth, health, prosperity, family, and community. Wallpaper made with organic wood pulp is ideal for home offices and living areas. However, limit woven wallpapers made from cotton, linen, or other materials to bedrooms, bathrooms, and other calming areas, as the woven material slows down chi. 

You can also choose a wallpaper that complements the elements shown on your bagua. For example, bright, empowering wallpapers will work best in your fire sector, while romantic, creative, or childlike wallpapers work best in earth sectors. Choosing a wallpaper is an important decision in feng shui, but it's best not to get too caught up in the details. As feng shui consultant Thierry Chow told Honeycombers, "it's really just about being more aware of your surroundings and what you choose for yourself. It creates an environment that helps you become a happier person and allows you to work at your best."