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Chinese New Year is all about fresh starts and making space for the new. It’s that time of the year when households are serious about decluttering and spring cleaning to make way for newer, better things.
This new year, Ikea Malaysia worked together with consultants from the renowned Joey Yap Consulting Group to help everyone bring Feng Shui into the home in a practical, achievable, affordable, and modern way.
Feng shui, when you take away the woowoo and consumerism side of it, is mostly rooted in common sense to bring harmony, health, and wealth into your life.
During the sharing session, Kian of Joey Yap Consulting Group shared the key areas to focus on in the home to bring in good Feng Shui energy.
Start strong at the entrance
The entrance (including the foyer and main door) of the home sets the tone for how you enter and leave the home daily. To bring in good Qi energy, make sure this area is clean and free of clutter.
You can keep the area clear and clean by having shelves or racks for footwear and have a small bench or put up hooks to keep loose items organised. The idea is to provide a simple space where you can easily store away your shoes, work bag, or jacket when you come home.
The living room is the center of harmony
SMEDSTORP 2-seat sofa, Lejde/red/brown birch, RM2,095
The living room is where we will spend the most time in with family and guests. This is the area where conversation, rest, and togetherness take place.
During the festive season, make sure there’s a balanced layout to encourage face-to-face interaction. This can be done by having comfortable and appropriately sized sofas and movable stools to adapt easily when guests arrive.
FÖSSTA Cushion cover, horse, 40×58 cm, RM20
A well-lit living room also lends a more open, uplifting, and welcoming space. Good lighting helps energy flow more smoothly throughout the home.
Add on soft furnishings like cushions and rugs to help ground the room and make the living space look inviting.
Create flow in the home
EPIPREMNUM Potted plant, Golden Pothos, 9 cm, RM5
EKET Cabinet combination with feet, white, 70x35x72 cm, RM440
In the Year of the Horse, movement matters. How we move through our home affects how comfortable and functional our living space feels every day.
Clear the paths at home by decluttering walkways, especially between shared spaces like the living and dining areas.
This is achievable by utilising storage solutions to keep spaces organised and freeing floor space. Areas that feel stagnant can be activated with live potted plants (fake plants aren’t going to work).
While well-lit rooms bring in good energy, some areas don’t need all the brightness. For example, a dark bedroom promotes better rest and sleep. Having curtains and blinds will help balance the need for light and dark in the home.
In open layouts, simple dividers such as screens or shelving can help define zones without closing off spaces.
Checking the Annual Flying Stars chart
Kian also shared the Annual Flying Stars chart for the year 2026. The Flying Stars chart in Feng Shui breaks the home layout into 9 zones.
The chart helps to identify auspicious zones for wealth and career, and also identify negative zones so we know where and how to remedy it.
This year, the southeast sector is the most auspicious area. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t clutter this area with auspicious items either. Keep this area clean, clear, and organised to let the good energy flow.
Zone 4 ruled by the academic/romance star. This area is good for studies, education, creativity, and even relationships.
Zone 8 is ruled by the Wealth Star. This area is good for prosperity and career growth, especially sales growth. This area can be enhanced with fire or earth elements so get that candle out.
The worst zone is number 5. This zone symbolises the Misfortune Star aka calamity, where you’ll experience ups and downs in life. It’s important to keep this area quiet. If an important area of the home is in this quadrant, you can mitigate risks by using a metal element. For example, if the kitchen is in this area, you can use metal shelving to store kitchen ingredients and so forth.
Zone 2 is ruled by the Illness Star. To mitigate issues, use a metal element as well.
Zone 3 is ruled by the Quarrel Star. If your home feels chaotic and you’re always arguing with your loved ones, it’s likely this area at home has been ‘’activated.’’ To mitigate the issues, light a candle in the area to release negativity. If lighting a candle isn’t possible due to safety, a salt lamp does the trick as well.
Unfortunately, using a candle warmer lamp doesn’t work. Kian explained that fire is needed to get things going.
What if the kitchen is in inauspicious zones? Kian said there are two ways to remedy this: Use an induction cooker in a more auspicious side of the home or redesign the home (hint: Ikea can help you do this).
Zone 7 is ruled by the Robbery Star, which also affects communication with others since it’s associated with theft, betrayal, and competition. To remedy issues, use water elements to calm this star like placing a pot of lucky bamboo in water. Fountains are not recommended because the active movement might activate rather than calm the star.
To learn more about maximising good energy in your home, Ikea is hosting a series of Feng Shui sharing sessions by consultants from Joey Yap Consulting Group.
In these sessions, Ikea Interior Design experts and Feng Shui masters share how everyday home solutions can support better living, during Chinese New Year and beyond.
Check out the other activities in store at Ikea nationwide:
8 February – Home Fengshui sessions with Joey Yap Consulting Group across all Ikea Stores nationwide.
7-8 February – CNY Calligraphy, exclusively at Ikea Damansara, Cheras, and Tebrau.
7, 8, 14, 15 February – Ikea mascot appearances in stores nationwide.
7, 8, 14, 15 February – Digital Gamification: Fortune Run. Guests who are Ikea Family members who spend RM388 and above in a single receipt stand a chance to win prizes (while stocks last).
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