Correcting Bad Feng Shui: Overhead Lighting

Far too many of the homes and businesses I visit as a Feng Shui consultant have one conspicuous thing wrong:

The only available light source in most of the rooms is a single overhead light.

It’s so bad that I often feel like putting on a baseball cap during these consultations 🙂

Overhead lighting is a classic case of “Bad Feng Shui.”

It’s impossible to relax in the glare of these all-purpose light fixtures.

Create Good Feng Shui with Ambient Lighting

Good lighting is one of Feng Shui’s Nine Essential Chi Adjustments, so it’s important to get it right. Take the pressure off with various types of lighting that enhance the ambiance of the room.

• General lighting: large, room-filling lamps like torchieres bounce light off the ceiling and create an overall glow in the room. Adjust the mood by putting these fixtures on dimmers if you can.

• Ambient lighting: table lamps around the room create light that supports conversation and relaxation.  Aim to have three of these lamps arranged in larger rooms to create a “triangle of light” for the best balance throughout the space.

• Task lighting: next to your couch or bed and on your desk, smaller task lights enable you to read, work and study easily.

And finally: either remove your overhead lamps or put them on dimmers (a surprisingly easy fix), to give yourself some much-needed lighting flexibility.

What about ceiling fans, you ask?  They’re not bad at all….

 

(Photo credit: insearchofwhales)