An interior designer I am not. However, one of the parts of my job I love most is the “design” aspect of planning a new aquarium installation. My favorite challenge is when I walk into a new client’s home or office that is planning to add an aquarium and they say “OK Jon, where does it go?” Helping them decided everything from the size, shape, dimensions and placement in the room, right down to choosing whether to go freshwater, saltwater or with a saltwater reef aquarium, is an exciting process with incredible finished products.
Now if I were an actual and formally trained interior designer, I would probably know about different methodologies, styles and schools of thought for choosing what goes where in a room and why.
One school of thought in design that I’ve often heard about, but knew nothing about was Feng Shui, so I decided to do a little research. What I’ve learned is Feng Shui is much more than design style; it is a 3000 year old Chinese belief, art and science that helps gain good fortune, health and wealth by balancing energies in a room or space.
So why is my monthly aquarium article talking about Feng Shui you ask? Well, if I told you an aquarium could attract abundance and wealth, protect your family or help further your career, would you be interested? As it turns out, the aquarium can be a virtual Feng Shui blow torch. The aquarium utilizes all 5 Feng Shui elements in perfect harmony. Those elements; water (such as the water in the tank), fire (represented by the colors in the fish), metal (as seen in the construction and equipment of the aquarium), wood (also in the construction, cabinetry and décor) and earth (gravel or substrate) are represented in the aquarium and create the balance needed for what is known as “Good Feng Shui”.
The aquarium’s placement in the room is vitally important in achieving the desired result you’re after. Placing the aquarium in the south east corner is said to help achieve wealth and abundance. If the aquarium is located on the north wall it may aid in furthering one’s career and the east wall is believed to promote good health and family.
Unfortunately in Feng Shui style, there’s a good and bad side to planning your aquarium placement. Just as the ideas above will promote all sorts of benefits, the wrong placement can work against you. Placing an aquarium in the bedroom is considered “Bad Feng Shui”. Water, the obvious primary component of the aquarium, is thought to bring energy. The bedroom is believed to be a place of cocooning and healing. Calming, nourishing and sensuality (hello!) need to be stressed and the water element works against that.
Secondly, the kitchen is thought to be a place of warmth and the soul of the home. The primary element present is thought to be fire, opposite of water. Also, similarly to the bedroom the kitchen is a place for nourishment and what is thought to be the “nervous energy” given off by water works against that.
So there. I’ve just helped your family, got you promoted and made you millions, all by talking about where your aquarium should go. Glad I could be of service to you.
Thanks for reading and keep and eye out for next month’s article “Small is the New Big” to get some ideas of how you can easily and very affordably add a beautiful and easy to care for aquarium in your home or office.
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me directly at moc.SA-tenalPeulB@noJ
