Despite - or perhaps because of - the often minimal nature of tiny homes, the arrangement of interior decor is a vital step when it comes to settling into yours. In order to achieve the best possible set up, you might consider applying a few elements of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui began as a Chinese Taoist principle, with its name translating as “the way of wind and water”. While the approach has perhaps not retained much of its traditional spirituality, many of its concepts are still considered extremely useful when it comes to interior design.

In this article, the bloggers at Property Solvers explore a few Feng Shui tips that can be applied to small spaces to give your tiny house a sense of serenity and order.

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Declutter

This may seem like an obvious first step for a tiny home resident, as the more clutter you remove, the more space you’ll have - but this is doubly important in Feng Shui, as piles of bric a brac are believed to block the flow of energy in the home.

Go from zone to zone in your house, removing unused or non-vital items as you go, then dedicate some time to deciding what goes and what stays.

Simplicity is vital to give a greater sense of space, tranquility and organization.  

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Use Mirrors Cleverly

Hanging mirrors is a great way to make rooms feel larger - but there are certain Feng Shui tips that you can use to make these accessories even more effective.

One approach is to hang a mirror opposite the window that provides the most attractive view - as the reflection will add more interest and help you to feel surrounded by the outdoors.

Another tip is to hang a mirror in a social space, as this gives the impression of more people at any gathering and helps to reflect a greater sense of fun and conviviality.

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Make the Most of Outdoor Spaces

If you’re lucky enough to have a yard or garden of any size, you should include this in your design approach. After all, a major principle of Feng Shui is to create a sense of balance with the natural world.

We’ve already talked about reflecting beautiful views with mirrors, but there is so much more you can do to create a connection with the outdoors.

Invest in outdoor furniture that is beautiful and inviting to encourage guests and members of your household to sit outside.

Try to create clear routes right through your home to your yard or garden and keep garden-facing curtains and blinds open where possible to show off the outdoor space.

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Divide Areas

Many tiny houses feature open plan elements to give the impression of more space, but good Feng Shui dictates that there should be some sense of division in a home. This is helpful for practical and organisational reasons as well as to provide a comfortable sense of privacy.

You can cleverly divide up your communal or living areas with the placement of larger pieces of furniture like sofas, as well as using bookshelves, screens and even the clever arrangement of rugs.

When people consider Feng Shui, most of the time they are probably thinking about it for traditional homes. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for it in other types of housing such as shipping container homes or tiny houses.

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Don’t Over-Decorate

Consider creating a “gallery wall” rather than hanging pictures wherever there’s space.

Grouping artwork and photographs together in a suitable area will offer a sense of fun without making a room feel cluttered. After all, busy walls can make people feel claustrophobic in a space.

Keep ornaments on surfaces and shelves to a minimum, too. Try to limit yourself to one or two decorative items that fit your colour scheme and bring you joy in each designated area for a real sense of space and flow.

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Choose Light, Relaxing Colours

Depending on how deep into the world of Feng Shui you wish to explore, you may decide to follow traditional colour guides in order to achieve a feeling of balance.

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Different colors relate to different types of “energy”, with:

• Blue and black associated with “water energy” for concentration and creativity
• Green with “wood energy” for positive action and healing
• Red with “fire energy” for luck and boldness
• Yellow with “earth energy” for happiness and abundance
• White with “metal energy” for purity and innocence

Lighter colors, being closer to white, offer a freshness and openness to a space - both spiritually and practically. As you likely know, these paler shades are perfect for small rooms as they provide an increased sense of scale.

What’s more, whites, beiges, creams and pale greys will draw attention to the detail of your well-organised, minimalist decor.

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There’s Always Space for a Plant

Nature features strongly in the world of Feng Shui, so what better way to pay homage to the great outdoors by cultivating your own little collection of plants?

Be selective with the size, location and care requirements of the plants you select. You need to be able to give them what they need to thrive, and too many can make a room feel like a jungle rather than a serene and decluttered space.

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Consider dedicating a single plant to each room or “zone” at the very most. However, you may decide to place a large species and small species side by side in certain places, though this should be done sparingly.

It’s vital that you keep up with the care of all of your plants to ensure that they thrive and to make all of your spaces feel healthy and peaceful.

The above tips provide a simple starting point when it comes to the application of Feng Shui to your tiny home. Whether you delve deeper into the methods involved or simply select a few key practical elements is up to you.

A sense of balance, space and calm is extremely important for any small living space, so be sure to carefully manage how every room is arranged and maintained at all times. Hopefully, with the help of Feng Shui, you’ll be able to achieve a peaceful state of mind with ease.

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