A studio apartment presents some unique feng shui challenges since it is a single space. The kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom are all contained within this one open area, but feng shui has several solutions that can help you define the space.
Feng Shui Studio Apartment Ideas for Creating Rooms
In feng shui, it's best for a bedroom to be a separate room and not part of the other living areas. The reason for this separation of spaces is logical since it is difficult to rest when activities hosted in the space aren't conducive to sleep.
Rooms and Fixtures
Most studios have a separate bathroom with fixtures. The kitchen area is clearly defined by cabinets and appliances, either as a basic kitchenette on one wall or full kitchen.
Dining Area
Many studio apartments don't allow space for a dining area. In this instance, you can use a coffee table and some floor pillows for a makeshift dining area. You can use plants to separate the dining space and the living area as well as add yang energy.
- A large kitchen may feature a bar that can serve as your dining space.
- Another solution is a drop leaf table with folding dining chairs. The table can be opened up for dinner guests and the chairs can be stored when not in use.
- Large studio apartments provide enough space for a dining table. Don't isolate this area or box it in. Instead, enjoy the yang energy from the kitchen and living area for an auspicious dining space.
Kitchens and Yang Energy
The fire element in a kitchen is yang energy and when it is part of the open space, this energy dominates. When combined with the living room yang energy, these two functions in an open space with a bed make for a very restless sleep.
Living Rooms and Yang Energy
A living room generates and attracts yang energy. The activities that take place in this room are active and excited. A television is typically located in the living room and produces EMFs that can interfere with sleep.
- Add a few plants to the living room area to boost the yang energy.
- A yang colored area rug will energize this space.
- You can use a partition.
Bedroom Yin Energy
You need to find ways to define the sleeping area as a separate area from the rest of the apartment. By the same token of yang energy spilling over into the bedroom area of a studio apartment, the yin energy from the bedroom clashes and falls into the living room/kitchen area. Feng Shui offers several remedies to define spaces for rooms with partitions, screens or curtains as well as specific colors for area rugs.
Office Space
Most studio apartments don't provide enough space for a home office, but you can get creative by using a collapsible wall desk that can be folded up when not in use. You may find a lap desk is the best solution for working on a laptop. If your apartment has a niche, a small space between two corners or columns, you can install a wide plank between the columns, paint it and you have an instant desk. Add a chair and a desk lamp.
Defining Spaces With Area Rugs
One of the best ways to create boundaries of each space in an open layout found in a studio apartment is to use area rugs. You can to purchase an area rug large enough to create the illusion of a room.
Create a Living Room
The key to a successful living room area in a studio apartment is to choose an area rug the size of the room you wish to create. The living room furniture should set on top of the rug, so this space is clearly defined by the rug and the furniture. This will give the illusion of a room with imaginary walls on all four sides.
Create a Bedroom
Since the open space isn't defined for specific rooms, you need to decide where you wish to place your bedroom. Like the living room, you'll need to select a rug large enough to set your bedroom furniture.
Partitions and Room Dividers Are Helpful
Create the feeling of rooms with room dividers or by using a partition, screen or curtain between the sleeping area and the living/kitchen area. You can also use a combination of a partition and area rugs.
Type of Partitions
You have a wide selection of room partitions to consider. These can be as simple as an industrial wire strung from one wall to another and lightweight curtains hung from the wire. This type of partition allows you to open and close the curtains as needed. There are systems designed specifically for studio curtains to use as partitions.
Glass Partitions
A more expensive type of partition is glass. These can be panels that are raised from the floor and don't reach the ceiling. There are also half wall glass partitions that are also positioned above the floor. You can purchase etched, frosted and colored glass partitions.
Folding Screens
Another type of partition you can use is a folding screen. However, the screen should never be used in an accordion style, but as a straight panel. Otherwise, you'll be creating poison arrows with the hard angles of the jutting panels.
Furniture Used as a Partition
Depending on the size of your sleeping area, specifically the size of your bed, you may decide to utilize the partition by selection a couple of pieces of storage furniture to create the faux wall effect. This could be a large armoire, bookcase, or an entertainment wall unit. Keep in mind that the back of the furniture could be less aesthetic, and you'll need to address this design issue, either with another piece of furniture backed up to it, a screen, oversized painting or canvas, curtain, etc.
Color to Differentiate Areas
Another way to define your spaces with or without a partition is with color. You want to select appropriate colors for the type of energy you wish to attract to each area.
Bedroom Colors
A bedroom should have more yin energy than yang, so you need to choose yin colors to dominate this area of your studio apartment. You can use feng shui color guidelines to help you make the best color choice, such as a restive green or tan for a rug and/or accent wall.
Living Room Colors
For a living room you need to attract more yang colors than yin colors. Yang color guidelines advise going with various values of reds, oranges, purples, gold, and yellow.
Lighting for Yin and Yang Energies
Keep in mind that light is yang energy. This can be used to attract yang energy in the living room. Need more yang energy? Add more lighting options. You can also use elements to attract specific yang energies, such as the fire element. Add an electric or gas fireplace in your living area to create fire yang energy for a successful feng shui studio apartment design.
Lighting in Bedrooms
While you always want a balance of yin yang energy in your feng shui studio apartment, the yin energy should dominate the bedroom, but not overpower it completely. You can balance the chi with subdued lighting, either by dimmer switches or lower wattage bulbs and small lamps.
- Corner lighting with torchiere floor lamps provides great ambient uplighting.
- A string of miniature lights or tube lighting attached along crown molding can add ambiance, define your bedroom space and provide lower frequency yang energy ideal for a bedroom.
- Wall sconces can provide light without taking up value end table surface space.
Lighting in Living Areas
Use several types of lighting in the living area. You can use matching table lamps for end tables.
- A sofa table is an excellent place for a pair of slender buffet lamps.
- A floor lamp can brighten a corner of provide direct lighting for reading.
- Torchiere floor lamps send light to bounce against the ceiling to brighten dark areas.
Lighting in Dining Areas
If your apartment doesn't designate a dining area with a hanging chandelier or other ceiling light fixture, you can create one with a plug-in swag light. You can also place a small table lamp in your dining table for ambient lighting.
Inspiration for Feng Shui Studio Apartment Ideas
You can design a feng shui studio apartment when you explore ideas on how to define the spaces. Once you have secured your sleeping area with some type of separation, you'll be able to enjoy your feng shui apartment lifestyle.
