Feng Shui Modern

by Cliff Tan, Dura Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

A House Beautiful Best Design Book to Buy Now

In an increasingly cramped world, a modern guide to opening up your living space-and your life-using the ancient principles of feng shui.

The practice of feng shui, centuries old and rooted in ancient principles of harmony between people and their environments, has perhaps never been more necessary than in the modern world. As we pack our homes-and now our workspaces, too-into mere square footage, our living spaces have a newfound and outsized impact on our wellbeing.

In Feng Shui Modern, interior design expert Cliff Tan shows us that this can be a good thing. Using the traditional principles of chi, or energy, to take inventory of our areas and tastes, Tan uses expert tips and unique illustrations to show us how our own styles, color palettes, and pieces can maximize any environment, from dorm room to five-bedroom home. Drawing upon traditional principles of energy, Tan adapts a specified approach to developing your own intuitive sense of space: for balance, the five elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood; for season, the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west; for spatial orientation, the five animals, tortoise, tiger, bird, dragon, and snake. Then, taking inventory of light patterns, walking paths, walls, windows, and doors, Tan shows us how to carefully and comfortably balance the areas we have with the energy we need.

From choosing a home to redecorating old rooms, Feng Shui Modern helps us find harmony in the every facet of our lives-beginning with where we live them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526639998
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	59,125
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Cliff Tan is a graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture, and his practice combines architecture with feng shui. Cliff has over one million followers on TikTok, and his explanatory videos on feng shui have been viewed millions of times. Cliff was born in Singapore, and now lives in London. This is his first book.

Dura Lee is a South Korean illustrator who lives in Seoul. She originally studied fashion, before becoming an artist. Her most recent graphic novel, Youth and Island, was released in 2020.

Table of Contents

1 What is Feng Shui? 7

2 Foundations 13

Yin and Yang 16

Ba Gua 17

Five Elements 18

Energy - Chi 22

Five Animals 26

3 How to Apply Feng Shui 31

The Command Position 33

Flow and Chi 36

The Balance of the Elements 42

The Element Cycles 46

4 Planning 49

Choosing a Home 51

Entrance 55

Living Room 64

Dining Room 72

Kitchen 81

Office 90

Bedroom 99

Bathroom 114

Shared Spaces 121

5 Styling 133

Clutter and Storage 138

Artificial Lighting 143

Colours 152

Art and Sculpture 156

Mirrors and Crystals 166

Water 171

Indoor Plants 175

Gardens and Balconies 182

6 Endnote 187

Editorial Reviews

12/20/2021

TikTok influencer Tan masterfully demonstrates the practical application of feng shui in his easy-to-follow debut. He kicks things off with an explanation of the basic principles of feng shui—there’s yin and yang (essentially, balance); ba gua (a system of solid and broken lines that make use of yin and yang); the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood); the five animals (tortoise, bird, dragon, tiger, and snake, which correspond to rear, front, left, right, and center); and chi (which deals with feelings, flow, and energy). Then he walks readers through ways to combine the various elements (avoid having a bedroom near the kitchen, for example, since the fire element is present there), dealing with clutter (a storage plan helps), how to select a home (take into consideration the amount of light it gets), choosing colors for doors (if the door faces south, red would highlight its “strong energy”), and how to lay out every room in the house. Tan keeps things simple, and beautiful illustrations and diagrams demonstrate feng shui in action. Readers looking to spruce up their homes will find this worth returning to. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

With practical tips to developing your own intuitive sense of space, Feng Shui Modern is the key to restoring balance in your own home.” —House Beautiful

“Space planner and @dearmodern TikTok sensation Cliff Tan puts the how-to behind his explanatory videos about centuries-old feng shui practice – rooted in ancient principles of harmony – onto paper, offering quick and simple fixes to improve layouts, balance flow and make sensible use of living space” —Everything Zoomer

“TikTok influencer Tan masterfully demonstrates the practical application of feng shui in his easy-to-follow debut. . . . [He] keeps things simple, and beautiful illustrations and diagrams demonstrate feng shui in action. Readers looking to spruce up their homes will find this worth returning to.” —Publishers Weekly

“Tan offers feng shui made practical and comprehensible as he simplifies the potentially confusing elements that make up 'the way of wind and water,' bringing harmony and balance to living spaces. Definitions come first, explaining the foundations of yin and yang, ba gua (solid and broken lines), the five elements, chi (energy), and the five animals (directions). He summarizes all in a sentence or less-the epitome of common sense and instinct.” —Booklist

From the Publisher