The way you decorate your home can have a crippling impact on your love life, especially if you’re the sentimental type who likes to have photos of friends and family around.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Feng Shui expert Suzanne Butler warned that your choice of decor can derail dating success before someone even enters the front door.
Surprisingly, family photos, friends’ photos, and even friends’ photos can do the most damage to a potential romance, especially if they’re in the bedroom.
This is, she says, because photos indicate that those in the photos are “energetically watching over you,” which you don’t want when intimacy is involved.
‘I compare this to voyeurism. They should not be present in your bedroom, your intimate space. Instead, move them to the east of your home, the ‘family zone,'” she said.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Feng Shui expert Suzanne Butler warned that your choice of decor could derail dating success before someone even enters the front door
A bed that is too big can create distance, while family photos are a big no-no if you don’t want to be single. Everything must be combined, including lamps and bedside tables
She added that having photos of yourself alone in your room will have a similar effect to the caption, “I’m fine being single.”
The Brisbane-based expert, who is a finalist in the ‘Beam 2024 Small Business Awards’ Coach of the Year category, said bedroom decorating doesn’t start and end with family photos.
‘It makes sense that the design of your bedroom should reflect the kind of intimate life you want. Your bedroom is your personal space and its Feng Shui should be inviting to the partner you want to have in it,” she said.
Items such as lamps and bedside tables should be combined, even if it’s just you in your bedroom, she advised.
“Bedside tables should match if possible – anything dissimilar will bring uneven energy to the relationship,” she said.
This means that tables of different sizes can be problematic, as can decor choices such as love hearts.
‘Some people put three hearts in their room because it looks better. This is fine if you’re happy with a throuple,” she said.
Any reminders of past lovers should also be removed from the room.
Having pictures of birds mating for life, a queen size bed and matching lamps and bedside tables are important for relationships
‘It goes without saying that there should be no photos of your ex. remove soft animals you got for Valentine’s Day, or decorative swans for your anniversary,” she said.
Other items in the bedroom can reduce opportunities for intimacy and dating, and are more likely to create other unwanted realities.
‘It may seem like a good idea at first to have your treadmill or exercise bike in your bedroom, right next to your bed. You may have thought you could work out as soon as you woke up,” Ms Butler said.
But having sports equipment in the bedroom can make you feel tired and exhausted, as these are accompanied by a feeling of exhaustion.
The same goes for those who work from bed.
“If you must have an office space in this environment, make sure you can close it off with a screen or cover it with something like a sarong at the end of the day,” she said.
‘Otherwise you literally take your work to bed with you. This doesn’t create room for good rest or the fun you want to create in your life.’
Women should also avoid making their space ‘too feminine’ when looking for a man, as this does not invite the right energy.
“Neutrals work best in these spaces, it’s about balance,” she said.
Art showing single women might promote “single” energy, while walking away from someone is never good energy for couples. However, neutral colors are good
She suggests a pair of quartz hearts and images of animals that mate for life – such as cranes – rather than prey animals such as wolves, and figures showing entwined couples.
Any photo or art of people with their backs showing – or their faces covered – inspires people to run away or hide their truth, she warned.
She also said that a king-sized bed can create distance in a romantic relationship. Likewise, photos or statues of Buddha should be avoided in the bedroom as he “took a vow of poverty and abstinence.”
Having family photos or photos of friends is a bad idea if you want the space to promote intimacy
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that aims to achieve harmony and balance. It works on the principle that a home supports its residents in a practical way.
‘The different spaces in the home correspond to aspects of the resident’s life, such as relationships, money and health. The goal is to harness energy forces and create harmony between an individual and their environment,” she explained.
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