Where To Place Your Desk At Home According To Feng Shui

Far more than just an interior design style, feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging one's home in a balanced and harmonious way so as to promote positive energy (also known as chi). Key ways to do this include keeping the entryway bright and clear of clutter, creating flow-friendly rooms by removing any obstacles, and ensuring key pieces of furniture like beds and desks are arranged and positioned in places where you'll benefit from the most chi.

Speaking to Reader's Digest, feng shui consultant, Susan M. Chu, points out that even if you don't have the capacity to move much furniture around, simple factors like picking a desk with plenty of legroom and always keeping it organized and free of clutter can really aid focus. But if changing the placement of your desk is possible, and you're looking to bring feng shui principles into your home, then figuring out where to move it to is actually surprisingly simple.

The commanding position is one of the most important principles of feng shui and is primarily used in reference to three highly symbolic areas of the home; the bed, the desk, and the stove — which represent you, your career, and your wealth and nourishment, respectfully. Therefore, in order to harness positive energy and encourage prosperity in these three areas, all three items should ideally be placed in the commanding positions of their respective rooms.

You don't have to have a whole home office for your desk to still be in a position of power. However, regardless of what room it's in, for your desk to be in the commanding position, it should be diagonally facing the door so that you have an uninterrupted view of the space and easily receive any new opportunities that may appear. Speaking to My Domaine, feng shui consultant Laura Cerrano also suggests ensuring that you have your back to a solid wall — rather than a window or partition wall – for maximum support.

Clearly, placing your desk in the commanding position of the room isn't possible for everyone — and making sure you don't disrupt the natural flow of the space is far more important. But there are definitely other ways you can still ensure your desk isn't blocking or disrupting your chi.

Some simple tips include making sure you aren't seated with your back to the door or directly facing a window, as both can be distracting and pull your focus away from possible development opportunities and career growth. Also, according to feng shui master and architect R.D. Chin, try to avoid having your desk facing a solid wall, as this physical barrier can really stifle creativity (via Greatist). If space-saving needs mean you have no other option, then just make sure you put a large mirror or a piece of artwork that you find particularly inspiring on the wall so that it's not just blank.