The Chinese New Year begins on 22 January 2023, and this year is the Year of the Rabbit – the Water Rabbit, to be precise.
I believe that adapting your home according to Feng Shui principles can make a positive impact in your life in 2023 by utilising the ancient Chinese philosophy to balance the physical and environmental elements in our living spaces to increase positive chi or energy and live a holistic life and prosper in our inner peace.
The philosophy of Feng Shui focuses a lot on the placement and presence of the five elements of the natural world (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood) in our living spaces for a prosperous and harmonious life.
The shapes, colours, materials and structures that represent these elements are important. For the Year of the Rabbit, the lucky colours are azure blue, apple green, red and pearl white.
2023 is the Year of the Water Rabbit – an elegant, peace-loving, mild-mannered and adaptable creature, and so 2023 is expected to be a year of healing as well. The Water Rabbit tells us that this year we need to bring the earth element into our homes – the jade gemstone can help you channel good luck into your abode.
The start of a new year offers a wonderful opportunity to refresh the chi of your living spaces and remove the negative energies remaining from 2022. As we enter the Year of the Rabbit, there are some very specific decorating decisions that could make all the difference in your home – and some that should be avoided at all costs.
Bring luck into your home through colour
In Feng Shui principles different colours hold significant meanings – for example bedroom colours improve our restfulness and rejuvenate us, front door colours reject negativity and encourage good energy flows.
The zodiac animal of each year brings new colours of especial importance. For the Year of the Water Rabbit the colours of the greatest importance are black, grey, and white.
You don’t need to go full-scale colour renovation through your home to invite the positivity of the Water Rabbit to your abode – we can look at changing cabinetry handles or other fittings and furnishings such as artworks, or cushions and throws.
Channel the element
Even though the Water Rabbit is governed by the water element this does not mean that bringing all the luck and positivity of the Water Rabbit requires you to decorate in a full coastal aesthetic. Instead, we bring touches of the governing element into our homes:
- Tranquil artworks inspired by the natural world
- Decorative accents that are soft to the touch – reminiscent of the undulations of moving water
In this water element year we also look toward metal which is one of waters partners. Metallic or rounded décor are a great way to foster good luck by bringing balance and work beautifully with the obvious water pieces.
Bring balance with the wood element
This is our third water year in a row so it is important that to foster good Feng Shui in our living spaces we balance the abundance of water energy with the other elements – metal (as we’ve already mentioned) and wood.
The powerful combination of water, wood and metal work together and provide growth and life energy:
- Shades of blue, green, or teal (the colours of water)
- Column-like shapes
- Natural tones and materials like clay, wood, or stone
- A hugely beneficial addition is greenery throughout that can be seen from all angles – plants are believed to symbolise growth and positive energy.
Creating a harmonious balance of the masculine (yang) and the feminine (yin) energies in your space in tandem with the five elements will bring you the most change and positivity for the year ahead.
Our team here at JMJ Interiors are qualified and experienced in the principles of Feng Shui and we’d love to work with you to achieve simple re-arrangements, decluttering and reflective use of the elements and colours to create a well-balanced and rejuvenating space for you in your home or place of business. No need for a full-scale renovation, let’s work on inviting the luck and prosperity into your living spaces and change the way you live!
