More and more people nowadays are following Eastern design principles when setting up their spaces—and the bedroom is no exception. In fact, according to feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of balancing energies in a room to achieve harmony, there are some items you certainly should keep in a bedroom.
Anjie Cho, feng shui educator at Mindful Design School, says ideally, you should only keep sleep-focused items in the space. For example, this can include a supportive bed, nightstands, black-out shades, linens, and anything else that’s directly tied to sleep.
On the other hand, there are a few items that shouldn’t be in a bedroom. This can include “active” or “energizing” items. Cho lists books, electronic devices, and emotionally charged items (think: divorce papers or “something that you have strong, good or bad, feelings about”) as things that can be too stimulating.
Also, according to feng shui, shoes in the bedroom deserve a second thought as well. Ahead, we’ll explore what the deal is when it comes to shoes and whether or not you should keep them in the bedroom.
Can we keep shoes in the bedroom?
So, is it bad to keep shoes in the bedroom? As Cho notes, there actually aren’t any specific guidelines in terms of shoes in a bedroom.
“But if you have trouble sleeping, you may not want to have a lot of shoes, especially active ones like running shoes, under your bed or near you when you sleep,” she says. Generally, though, if you absolutely have to store shoes in your bedroom, then you can do so.
“Shoes are not a problem in feng shui,” Cho says. “We all wear shoes, we have outdoor shoes, house slippers—none of them are any issue in feng shui. I would say that probably 99% of people keep their shoes in their home, or at least the garage, so it’s really not a problem.”
She does add, though that beyond feng shui, it can be smart to keep shoes out of your home since they can track in bacteria.
“If you have trouble sleeping, you may not want to have a lot of shoes, especially active ones like running shoes, under your bed or near you when you sleep.”
Anjie Cho, feng shui educator at Mindful Design School
“It’s really about what you feel comfortable with,” she says. “In general, I find that most people, especially in or from Asia, refrain from wearing outside shoes inside their homes. This is to keep debris out and the floors clean.”
Cho reiterates that there’s no right or wrong regarding shoes in the home or in the bedroom.
“From a feng shui perspective, the only thing of real note is that you may want to avoid storing them under your bed or away from the bed if you have room to store them elsewhere,” says Cho. “And especially if you feel like your mind is running around all over the place.”
In a worst-case scenario, Cho says you can place the least-active shoes under the bed and the active ones elsewhere.
How to store shoes in the bedroom
Let’s say you have a particularly small bedroom and you can’t get around the need to store shoes in the space.
“I always remind people that they can do the best they can with what they have,” Cho says. As she mentions above, you can always separate your active shoes from your less-active shoes, which can be stashed under your bed.
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FAQs
How do you store shoes in a bedroom?
You might be wondering where to keep shoes in the bedroom. Cho says the ideal setup is storing them outside of your bedroom since shoes—especially active ones—can encourage an active mind. But if you must, separate the more active from the less active shoes. Active shoes under your bed can particularly get your mind going, according to Cho.
Where is the best place to keep shoes at home?
“There’s no best place,” Cho says, adding that if you don’t wear your shoes in the house, then it makes sense to keep them near the exterior door or in the garage. “With that said, I know many, many people who have their shoes in their regular clothing closets,” she says.
Should you keep shoes in a closet?
Cho says there are no “shoulds” when it comes to the feng shui perspective on shoes. “If you enjoy having your shoes in your closet, go for it,” she says. “If you like them at the front door, that works too. You can also be open to exploring new ways to store your shoes where you have space for them and where they work for you practically.”
Next up, read our Q&A with Cho about how to create a more mindful bedroom.
