If you’ve ever been involved in a renovation project or expressed interest in interior design, you’ve probably come across the ancient Chinese art of placement and design, Feng Shui.
And if you’re tired of having to constantly water your plants only for them to wilt and die a few days later, it’s prime time to embrace the world of artificial plants. Apart from immeasurable beauty, these products carry balance, harmony, and the essence of nature into your home or office.
Ready to bring order into your life?
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng shui (aka Chinese geomancy) is an ancient practice of arranging and designing a space with purpose and intent. Generally, the end goal is to bring positive energy, harmony, and balance to the environment. Feng shui claims that energy forces have the ability to harmonize individuals with their surroundings.
The term feng shui translates to “wind-water,” and is a direct result of the belief that landscapes and bodies of water directed the flow of universal energy through places and structures.
This art is primarily based on the belief that the arrangement of objects in a particular way will affect the flow of energy (chi). As a result, this can impact a person’s well-being, mood, relationships, and future success.
The practice extends to astrological, cosmological, astronomical, geographical, and topographical dimensions. The city of Hong Kong attests to this, as the art is present in the very fabric of life, i.e. all shopping malls, office towers, and homes draw on its principles.
The Five Elements
In feng shui, the five elements – earth, fire, water, wood, and metal – play a pivotal role in crafting a harmonious space. Since these elements symbolize various aspects of nature and work together in unity, they’re thought to enhance the positive energy in the room and balance it out.
Each element is associated with a color, a shape, or a direction:
- Wood represents strength, flexibility, and intuition. To get the most out of wood decorations, use shapes that mimic tree trunks and colors like green and blue.
- Fire encourages leadership, passion, and boldness. Although you can’t use the element itself, employ candles, incandescent lights, and shades of red and pink.
- Earth symbolizes order, balance, and stability. To bring this element in, make use of square and rectangular shapes and brown or beige-colored decorations.
- Metal is responsible for logic, focus, and mental clarity. To enhance a space with metal, opt for round and oval shapes, and bring out the whites, grays, and pastels.
- Water encompasses inspiration, spirituality, and wisdom. This element is associated with black and other dark tones and works through asymmetrical, wavy shapes.
Fake Plants and Feng Shui
As feng shui is focused on bringing positive energy that offers purpose, fulfillment, and enjoyment, do fake plants even have a place in it?
Luckily, yes!
With the rise of premium-grade artificial living walls, this decor item will be a welcome addition to any living space, while simultaneously adhering to the rules of the practice.
Here are a few tips to make fake plants work for both you and feng shui:
1. Leafy Plants are Essential
Not all plants are good for feng shui. For example, spiky plants like cacti may come with negative energy because of their spikes. To avoid imposing visuals, opt for lush, leafy plants like ferns that highlight smoothness and brighten the mood. And if you’re an experimenter, why not invest in some exquisite fake leafy wall discs?
2. Pick the Right Location
To get the most out of your artificial plants (or any plant in general), place them around your home with intention. For example, if you have an open-plan home, use plants strategically to divide rooms. Or, deliberately design your entryway to accommodate a fake plant that emits a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. Plus, it will significantly help minimize the mess!
3. Mix With Real Plants
If you’re not ready to go all out with fake plants, take baby steps and mix them with natural plants. For added benefits, ensure your plants are of various shapes and sizes to emphasize the energy you want to welcome and take notice of where you place them. Artificial plants can thrive in any environment, but keep real ones close to the windows.
4. Think Vertically
As mentioned previously, vertical lines and added height are two of the backbones of feng shui. Hanging plants will help you make the most of any space, especially if you live in a small apartment. Besides this, integrate tall bookshelves, small trees, or intricately-positioned lighting to echo expansion.
What’s Next?
In your home, everything has energy, even artificial plants.
With a little time and effort, you can incorporate fake foliage into your home decor and incite the mood you’re looking for by creating a soothing design. For the best feng shui, invest in premium artificial plants and place them purposefully – you won’t regret it.