Transform Your Dorm

By Molly Gore

The fundamentals of Feng Shui, the ancient Eastern design philosophy that channels "chi," or the flow of energy, can be easily adapted for a dorm-style living space. It may suggest you ditch the microwave, but it's also a handy excuse for your "creative clutter."

A good Feng Shui room is designed to conduct the free-flow of positive energy, believed to promote good health and prosperity. To create this flow, Feng Shui rests primarily on the placement of items and furniture within a room and the colors used.

Manu Butterworth, founder and director of The Golden Gate School of Feng Shui, recommends keeping the bed space separate from the study space.

"They are distinctly separate areas, and merging them would be mixing energies," said Butterworth. He recommends sectioning off the bed area with a soft-toned fabric in order to separate the sleeping state of mind from the working, task-oriented self.

Furniture in the bedroom, especially the bed, should be located in one of three positions so as not to inhibit the flow of positive energy that comes in through the door. When in the bed, one should be able to see the door, though the bed should not be in direct line with the door. There should be a broad open area around the door where the "chi" enters the room.

The placement of the desk should follow the same principles. However, having a roommate in a room the size of a closet can be restricting. Steven Post, the first person to both teach and consult on Feng Shui in the U.S. and author of "The Modern Book of Feng Shui," suggests placing a mirror in a place that enables the occupant of the room to see the door from the bed.

Choice of color within a room is a much more subjective process. Colors that make an individual feel good will create the positive energy, according to the principles of Feng Shui.

"The color green is very helpful for college housing environments as it promotes a feeling of life and connectedness between people," said Post.

However, the effect of colors on a living space cannot always be generalized.

"Color depends on the person and what they are trying to achieve. Loud colors are not beneficial to good quality sleep. Tones should be softer in the bedding area, and more vibrant in the work area," Butterworth said.

Post suggests that bright colors stimulate the mind. So what does that mean for the wallpaper of Led Zeppelin, "Wet Hot American Summer," and Andy Warhol posters that grace dorm walls? Keep what makes you feel good; purge what doesn't matter to you.

As for the homemade carpet of shoes, dirty laundry and garbage that missed the can, clear away anything that blocks your path of movement in the room. This doesn't mean everything.

"Clutter is often incorrectly mischaracterized as bad. There is a difference between a fake artist's desk and a real artist's desk. The kind of clutter that reflects creative activity is good," Post said.

Stored-up winter clothes and month-old macaroni don't quite count as "creative clutter," though.

"Clutter under the bed is an energy blocker, if it's not part of your life anymore, it's clutter. It's energetically holding you back," said Butterworth. Maintaining the positive energy flow in your living space may be a newfound excuse for last month's dirty laundry under your feet, but other dorm room constants may inhibit the "chi."

A founding principal of Feng Shui is the idea of creating a harmony between nature and the living space. Objects within the home should resonate with what exists in nature. According to Butterworth, turbulent energy in such forms as electromagnetic fields do not belong in this relationship and can inhibit energy flow.

Butterworth makes a case for ditching the microwave. "Nothing resonates with us as human beings that comes out of microwave ovens," he said.

To create a more natural living space, Butterworth recommends natural ventilation, natural lighting and perhaps a plant or two.

Choose frames and bookstands with a more organic shape and feel. Do not forego what feels good to you within the room. Keep your favorite color, but stay away from lots of straight lines and severe corners when choosing fixtures. Part of creating a positive energy is maintaining what makes the occupant of the living space feel content.

Post said the purpose of college is to learn how to learn. "Environments that support an individual's personal growth give both a level of control and encouragement towards creativity that may come from, say, having a bed or desk in a commanding position. From this, what students learn in school may be better used in creating a positive life."

Just remember: Open the windows, don't block the door and keep the laptop away from the bed.

Contact Molly Gore at (408) 551-1918 or mgore@scu.edu.