One of the most common questions I’m asked is, how does Feng Shui differ from a house to an apartment? The answer is quite simple - you use exactly the same principals and theories, so there really are no differences in conducting a Feng Shui audit in either type of home.

However, the basic fundamental of Advanced Feng Shui is that your landscape should reflect the good stars that influence your house. Because of this, apartments are more challenging to work with than villas, as there is no landscape to enhance, control or cure.

In a villa, sometimes the most effective way to boost health or prosperity is through enhancement of the outside area. Perhaps you have a current prosperity water star at the front of your house that we can boost with a water feature or pond. However, with an apartment, this choice is not available, so we must focus on interior Feng Shui. Some remedies may also involve small structural changes, and these too can be limited if you are living in an apartment.

All certified master practitioners of Feng Shui use the Advanced Flying Star theories when conducting a Feng Shui audit. The first step is to find the “facing side” and the “sitting side” of the home. With an apartment, this is not always obvious and can be a very challenging task to locate. The facing side is the one with the most yang energy and it is not necessarily the entrance to your apartment block. In many cases it can actually be the side of your apartment - the wall with the most windows and a wonderful view.

Apartment blocks can sometimes have less than ideal entrance areas. Often they are too dark with no distinct doorway and no plant life to help lift the energy. This will not encourage auspicious energy to enter the building.

However, in some ways apartments can have just as good or even better Feng Shui than houses. You may have a current human harmony star at the back of your apartment, which is supported by a building, with an obvious open, bright, yang entrance to your apartment block facing a current prosperity star. This will bring you excellent Feng Shui for the next 20 years, promoting both wealth and a harmonious life.

If you live in an apartment, here are some Feng Shui tips to help encourage auspicious energy to circulate through your home…

1. Ensure the doorway to your apartment is clutter free. Remove all shoes/slippers that may be lying around the entrance to your apartment. Allow the entrance space to be free, clear and enticing for the chi to enter your apartment.
2. If your hallway is dark and stagnant, add some plants to assist in boosting the energy and getting it on the move.
3. Fish tanks or water features are relaxing, but may also cause problems if they are in the wrong place. They can be the reason behind some work pressures, hot gossip or even scandals. If you are experiencing any of these problems, I would recommend that you move your fish tank immediately to another location and consider a professional Feng Shui consultation.
4. When arranging your furniture, ensure that your chairs do not block any doorways. Try and ensure that you back is never facing a doorway or entrance.
5. Chi enters your apartment and moves directly to your corners first before meandering around the rest of your home. So ensure all your corners are free from clutter and if you feel they are stagnant, place a healthy green plant there to assist in boosting the flow of chi.
6. Ensure that your toilet lid is always placed down and that your bathroom door is constantly closed.
7. Ensure your bed is not placed directly facing your bedroom door, as this is considered extremely inauspicious. Your bed-head should be against a solid wall, to provide you with a sense of support and security and should also not face your en-suite toilet door.
8. Check your windows. If an edge of another apartment block is facing you, then you will be receiving a poison arrow from this building. If this is in your bedroom, you may have difficulty in sleeping or have health problems. The best remedy is to block the poison arrow by curtains or a blind.
9. If another building is near your terrace, then use window boxes, potted plants filled with flowers and shrubs to create precious yang energy. If this is not possible, then you can decorate with beautiful indoor plants and trees to lift the energy.

There are many different ways you can lift and move energy around using Feng Shui principals and theories in an apartment. If you have any questions or problems about Feng Shui in your own home, please do not hesitate to contact me.