Feng Shui Tips: Green for your work space 

There is an entire school of thought regarding the use of colours in different rooms to enhance the Feng Shui. This can be easily implemented if you have control and command of the colours of your walls, but can be tricky if you have to jump several hurdles to obtain permission to do so. I didn’t have problems with this in the Philippines or Thailand where Feng Shui is part and parcel of the interior design, but here in Europe it is not that widespread yet. 

What is the best colour for your home office to enhance creativity and productivity? Green! The shade of green is a personal choice, especially for the walls so follow your heart and choose a shade that makes you happy and allows you to concentrate best. If, however, you are not in a position to change the colour of the walls, use other elements to increase the green in your office, e.g. plants, carpets, curtains, throw pillows, duvets, pottery, and if you are so inclined, green lampshades. Take care, however, to keep your desk decluttered and scatter the plants strategically around the room. 

Since the office / study is likely to have a significant amount of electronics, you will need wood and water elements to counter the energies and restore balance, hence the need for plants. If you can, choose a wooden desk over glass and chrome, or add wooden side tables and credenzas – space permitting. Although I mention green lampshades, note that natural light in the office is essential. If your work space has been carved out of a nook, cabinet, basement or beneath the stairs where there is no window, then all the more reason to have that green lamp and those plants. 

Fish tank or fountain? Feng Shui schools of thought are divided on this as well. I subscribe to the idea that a fish tank is suitable in the office and a fountain in the wealth corner of the house. Fountains have a similar effect as chimes, they invite movement and flow, but can also disrupt concentration. You might say a fish tank is even worse because you end up staring at the fish instead of working. This is true, but the fish tank also has the green plant elements that will enhance the office Feng Shui. Just make sure you place it to the side of your desk or even behind you, not in your direct line of sight. 

What about candles? Personally I light a few candles before I sit down to work, especially if I work at night. Not everyone is a fan of this, but now that the nights are longer and the temperatures are dropping, it adds a general positive atmosphere that allows you to focus on your work regardless of whether you are battling excel sheets or editing photos. Green candles are for prosperity and therefore absolutely belong in your home office. 

Should you have chimes in your green room? No. Chimes belong in the main room near the main door and principal windows, not the office. Although the purpose of chimes are to invite prosperity and good fortune into the home, what you need in the office is a calming effect that allows you to buckle down and work undisturbed. If you are they type that needs background music to work then I recommend binaural concentration music instead, it is quite powerful and I speak from experience. 

Let’s talk about your work space outside of the home, beginning with the assumption that you have your own office and will not violate any corporate policies if you add Feng Shui elements – you are are not likely to be allowed to paint the walls green, but you can still work with accessorise with plants, desktop surfaces, picture frames, etc. Not every company allows plants in individual offices so make sure you clear this first with management before going full Feng Shui on them. You will want to have a quartz and amethyst crystal on your desk to counter or buffer the negative energies of the electronics as well. However, if you don’t have your own office but a cubicle, then you will be limited to smaller accents in your work space. A small plant, green mouse pad, and other elements you are allowed to bring in will help. 

A final note: when I refer to plants in the office (home or otherwise), I always mean natural plants and never artificial ones. Artificial plants are unacceptable in Feng Shui in any room in general, just as dried flowers and dead branches.