The modern era is moving quickly towards more work-from-home positions, meaning there needs to be home office space. With that comes various concerns about how a desk should face within it your home.
A desk can face any direction in a home office and is up to personal preference. However, light from the window can make it difficult to see electronics if placed behind the seat. In Feng Shui, a desk should not be near the window, with the back towards the door, around corners, facing the restroom, or with the right side or back facing the door.
As with any interior design, how a home office should be set up is up to individual preferences and needs for the space. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of space arrangement and is thought to promote luck, success, and good health in those who practice it. Please keep reading to learn more about how a desk should face in a home office and other tips for organizing the desk itself.
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Should Desk Face A Window or Away?
It is all up to the individual’s preferences as to what direction anything in the home office should be facing, as well as the utility of the space. That includes whether or not the desk is facing the window.
In Feng Shui, the office desk should not result in the user’s back towards the window as it can let in bad Qi, same with directly facing the window. Outside of that, the light from the window makes it difficult to see monitors and other supplies. Therefore, having the window behind any electronics is typically not suggested.
Related Article: Should a Desk be Placed Under a Window?
How to Feng Shui the Desk in Your Home Office
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art of space arrangement that can be applied to all interior and exterior decoration. It is thought to promote luck, success, prosperity, and good health if done properly, and if nothing else tends to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It can be rather picky in the arrangement, but it is a viable method for arranging the home office.
Desk Selection
The desk should be selected based on height, color, style, and personal preference. Unlike many things n Feng Shui, the desk isn’t usually much of an issue. However, some things should be considered or avoided based on personal elements and health concerns.
| Concern | What to Do |
| Earth element incompatibility | Avoid yellow, tawny, or brown |
| Internal organ issues | Select watery colors |
| Heart Disease | Avoid fire colors |
| Gastrointestinal issues | Avoid earthy colors |
| Lung diseases | Avoid metal and metallics |
Additionally, sharp corners should not face anyone else working in the space. This leads to bad luck and will have Qi attacks, bring about distrust, and generally not be polite. It is also recommended not to select a desk that heavily uses incompatible elements or colors.
Layout
Feng Shui dictates in which direction various objects should be placed on and around the desk. There are a lot of various materials that are going to be needed on a desk, but there are a few that have specific directions as to their placement.
| Direction | Object(s) |
| North | Plants |
| Northeast | Notebooks |
| Northwest | Pens, Ink, Stamps |
| South | Lamp |
| Southeast | Money, Telephone |
| Southwest | Seal |
Additionally, placing the desk north-facing helps one become more mature and independent and develops potential, but it can also bring on nervousness and ordinary performance. Southeast-facing helps improve leadership, capability, responsibility, confidence, and credibility but brings about being self-willed and overtired.
Décor Selection
Based on the Chinese Zodiac, there are different items to add to the décor to help bring along luck, prosperity, and career success. These are discovered by the birth year and run on a 12-year cycle. Each zodiac also has an element associated with it that helps dictate what to select, and are each in groups of three with matching elements and suggestions.
| Zodiac | What to Select | Examples |
| Rat | Metal, Metallics | Metal desk, metal storage, metallic colors, metal décor |
| Ox | Yellow, Brown, Apricot, Plants | Different kinds of plants, storage with earth-tones |
| Tiger | Wood, Green Plants | Wooden desk, green plants, wooden storage |
| Rabbit | Water, Aquatic Plants | Aquatic plants, watery colors, a small fountain |
| Dragon | Metal, Metallics | Metal desk, metal storage, metallic colors, metal décor |
| Snake | Yellow, Brown, Apricot, Plants | Different kinds of plants, storage with earth-tones |
| Horse | Wood, Green Plants | Wooden desk, green plants, wooden storage |
| Goat/Sheep | Water, Aquatic Plants | Aquatic plants, watery colors, a small fountain |
| Monkey | Metal, Metallics | Metal desk, metal storage, metallic colors, metal décor |
| Rooster | Yellow, Brown, Apricot, Plants | Different kinds of plants, storage with earth-tones |
| Dog | Wood, Green Plants | Wooden desk, green plants, wooden storage |
| Pig | Water, Aquatic Plants | Aquatic plants, watery colors, a small fountain |
Additionally, opposing elements should be avoided to keep up good Qi and prevent negative reactions. Incompatible elements will make everything harder, so try and stick with a heavy focus on the actual element and those themes.
What to Avoid
The desk is a very important piece of the home office; therefore, there are a lot of guidelines within Feng Shui that strongly highlight the desk, its placement, and the material it is made of. While most are up to personal preference and individual taste, some strong suggestions exist for placing the desk itself.
Here are some things to avoid when trying to Feng Shui the desk in a home office:
- Do not place the desk so that the right side faces the door
- This will lead to poor work efficiency and health due to being disturbed by people coming in and out
- Do not place the desk so that the door is behind the seat
- Due to a door being a gateway, it absorbs both evil spirits and vitality. There is no support for miscellaneous Qi attacks without a high backrest that can block this.
- Do not place the desk so that the window is behind the seat
- Windows are inlets and outlets of various Qi, leaving the head open to greet evil spirits.
- Do not place the desk in a hallway, a space with heavy foot traffic, or near the window.
- Do not place the desk facing the restroom door or walls
- Do not place the desk opposite a cabinet corner
- Do not place the desk so any sharp corners are facing another’s workspace
- Do not place the desk between two walls
Additionally, the color selection should not have influence by opposing, incompatible elements or materials made from them. A few accents of these typically do not cause many issues unless being very strict with the guidelines. This is only in Feng Shui, however, and doesn’t need to be followed outside of that unless it is desired.
How to Accommodate Multiple Workspaces
Home offices do not have to be for just one person at a time. Now more than ever, people can work from home, so having a space to accommodate everyone, even in a small area, is beneficial. Unfortunately, that does mean that there are going to be multiple desks to accommodate.
Use One Large Table Instead of Multiple Desks
One solution to the problem of accommodating multiple workspaces is to use one large table instead of multiple desks. This way, each person can have their side and space to spread out. Shared odds and ends such as the stapler, paperclips, the printer, and pens can all take up residence in the center of the table to negate the need for multiples cluttering the whole thing.
A table also looks attractive from all sides, so it’s a viable option for multiple workspaces away from the wall. Plenty of space is underneath to account for leg room or storage; typically, a table has more workspace than an average desk.
Another bonus of using a table over multiple desks is that it keeps the users nearby when they might need to be separated. This is great for families that wouldn’t get to see each other as often or who need to collaborate anyway. It is a perfect option for people who work great together or are not distracted by another’s presence.
Build a Custom Workspace
Building a custom workspace is a fine method for creating ample workspace for everyone involved. There is little more satisfying than building something and getting used to it. It also tends to run cheaper than similar prefabricated products.
Here are some ideas for building a custom workspace:
- Set a large slab over a set of shelves, filing cabinets, or cases and secure it down
- Cut an old table in half and mount it to the wall
- Reclaim pieces from old furniture
- Find a design template and build according to the instructions
- Take into consideration vertical space for storage
- Add a double-sided shelf in the center of a long table
Whenever a building project is tackled, wear appropriate protective gear and, measure twice, cut once. Select materials that will be sturdy for a long time and double-check their safety before filling them up with a heavy load and fragile equipment. There is always the option of hiring a professional to design and build the workspace, and there is no shame in doing so if DIY is uncomfortable.
Place Desks Side by Side
If there is space, placing desks or other workspaces side by side is a viable method to accommodate multiple workspaces while also keeping them facing the same direction. This can help create a sense of unity within the space while making it feel less like one person gets a better space than the other.
These desks do not have to be identical either, though they can be. They can also be one long table with everyone on the same side instead of opposing. This can help improve workflow and do well for a collaborative sort of setting or keep people close who are not usually able to be so.
Split the Room in Half
Another option is to split the room in half with a divider or a faux wall. This makes it so everyone has their own space to work with rather than just a desk and a chair. It can make it reflect multiple styles without getting into someone else’s space and can make use of a larger room.
Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference, style, and needs for the space. A thin divider can help divvy up the space effectively, even in a smaller room, but a small faux wall or even a half wall might be preferable based on individual needs, wants, and space requirements.
Conclusion
Working from home is rising and will likely stay even as the world changes. That means that more people are going to need a home office space. One of the biggest, most important pieces of the office is the desk, and many people are concerned about which way it should face within the room. Unless someone tries to Feng Shui their office, there isn’t much need to think too hard about it. However, avoiding direct light on electronics is likely best, or they will be harder to see.
If Feng Shui is desired, there are many guidelines on how to negate bad Qi, from the placement of the desk in the room, the colors, and even the décor placed on top based on personal zodiac, element, and health concerns.