I just spent months and months cleaning up all my mess. My “yes” box is small compared to my “no” box, and my “maybe” box is huge. I am now ready to downsize and move into my new tiny house. How will I feel and how to feng shui in my small house? Will I feel squeezed and diminished? Will the smallness of my space be too yin? Will narrow brevity inhibit qi? Will the eight mansions in my bagua be strong enough to deal with the problems in my life? Will my sense of refuge and shelter provide a solid enough foundation to ascend to the Tao holon of self-realization? Tiny house feng shui is my new challenge, and my spatial concepts will have to be microscopic compared to my lifelong obsession with lots of space.
The tiny house is the most recent phenomenon in our housing culture. It’s the complete opposite of the trend towards mega mansions in recent years. This modern development is very much the manifestation of the spectrum of yin and yang opposites. Having reached excess with mega mansions and megamalls, we reach the turning point or flip syndrome that seeks the opposite.
Assuming we’ve found the perfect spot to anchor our tiny house, we need to figure out how to implement the dragon’s lair attributes, namely the couch position. Is there some kind of elevation, we wonder, or maybe some tall trees that could serve as protection thus symbolizing the black tortoise on the back? The swaying bushes or a low fence can be the green dragon and the white tiger on the left and right. An open view towards the Red Phoenix could be anything from a birdbath to a fountain, a small rock garden or a flower bed. Our Ming Tang or light room could be a small porch with a step and perhaps a retractable awning to provide a sense of shelter and protection.
Now that we have found or created the perfect environment, we want to refer to our checklist for tiny house feng shui considerations:
• Draw a simple floor plan and overlay your bagua grid. The simple rectangle or square of a tiny house is a feng shui plus.
• Take photos standing in the doorway facing in and facing out. In a two-dimensional image, you’ll better see where qi might be blocked and what might be useful as a good focal point.
• The electronic age is conducive to living in tiny houses. Digitize as much as possible, that is, files, documentation, invoices and receipts, as well as photos, and store it all in the clouds.
• Lights, a crucial design feature, will shape our sense of space. Decorative lighting can be installed for special effects. Indirect lighting suggests additional space and can be dimmed according to environmental needs.
• A monochrome color scheme will make a small space feel larger. Textures and shapes can be used to include all five elements.
• Mirrors, a favorite in feng shui, can be cleverly used to reflect light, an outside view, or simply to double interior space.
• What about memories and memories? Rotate your small item display seasonally or during the holidays. They could be photographed and stored in a memory bank.
• Don’t forget your Tao connections, a pebble from a walk, a twig from the pine forest, a shell from the beach. A jade plant or lucky bamboo will activate your wealth corner. Succulents are all the rage and they come in many miniature versions.
• For your relationship corner, you can try a couple of miniature rose quartz tea lights or a small picture frame with the Chinese character for “double happiness.”
• Check your sensory perceptions and see if all your senses are involved. A small Bluetooth speaker or even Alexa will provide streaming sounds, and incense or an essential oil diffuser will bring olfactory satisfaction.
• In a small window garden or on your front porch railing, you can grow savory herbs, an aromatic blessing for soup in your mini slow cooker.
• A small stool at the front entrance will support your career goals and don’t forget your sentinels. A couple of pots or urns with flowers or miniature trees will symbolize the guardians of your treasures in a small dwelling.