Designing for Serenity: Simple shifts to help your home feel like a deep breath.

By Dee Oujiri

Here in Minnesota, summer is our long-awaited reward. The snow has finally melted, the daylight lingers well past dinner, and the warm breezes invite us to fling open our windows and say yes to sunshine. But let’s be honest: summer energy can sometimes feel like too much of a good thing. Between the constant activity, the blazing heat, and the rush to do all the things, our homes—and our bodies—can start to feel overstimulated.

Enter Feng Shui, the ancient art and science of energy alignment, ready to help us cool the chi and bring some balance back into our sun-drenched lives. Whether you're craving better sleep, a calmer mood, or simply a home that feels like a cool drink of water, these tips will help you dial down the Fire element and create a sanctuary that still sizzles, just with more style and serenity.

Understanding Summer Chi

(and Why We Need to Cool It Down)

In Feng Shui, summer corresponds with the Fire element: think brightness, heat, passion, activity, and outward energy. It’s associated with the south direction, the color red, and yang chi—the active, expansive energy that gets us moving. While Fire is fabulous for inspiration and celebration, too much of it can tip us into burnout, irritability, and sleepless nights.

So, how do we restore balance without dimming summer’s joy? We do what Feng Shui always teaches us to do: balance the elements. In summer, we balance Fire with Water and Earth, and we invite a little Yin energy to cool and comfort our Yang-heavy days.

Refresh with the Water Element

Water is the antidote to excess Fire. It represents wisdom, flow, emotional depth, and calm. When you feel overheated, overwhelmed, or restless, bring in Water energy to restore serenity.

How to invite the Water element into your home:

• Add flowing features: Fresh flowers or a bowl of floating flowers can invite soft, cooling chi.

• Use reflective surfaces: Mirrors, glass objects, or glossy black ceramics represent Water and bounce light around while cooling a room visually.

• Decorate with water-inspired art: Choose prints or paintings of lakes, calm rivers, calm oceans, or rain. Bonus points if the artwork includes calming blues and soft brushstrokes.

• Embrace watery hues: Incorporate navy, charcoal, indigo, or turquoise in your textiles—think curtains, throw pillows, or even a new rug (hello, grounding chi!).

  
  

Style Tip: Don’t overdo it! Too much Water can make a space feel cold or disconnected. Think of Water as the soft silk scarf to complement summer’s bold lipstick—not the whole outfit.

Ground the Energy with Earth

Earth is the great stabilizer. It’s the element of nourishment, support, and stillness. As summer chi rises with the temperature, Earth helps us feel anchored.

How to bring in the Earth element:

• Layer in earthy textures: Clay pots, stone coasters, ceramic lamps, jute rugs—these natural materials ground the energy of a room.

• Use square shapes: Feng Shui considers these shapes Earth-supportive. A square ottoman or a low bench can subtly calm a room.

• Choose warm neutrals: Think sandy beige, cream, oatmeal, or soft earth tones. These colors soothe the senses while still feeling light.

• Incorporate crystals: Crystals like rose quartz, citrine, or smoky quartz are all aligned with Earth energy and can double as chic decor accents.

Style Tip: Create a little Earth altar in your home—place a plant, a stone, and a ceramic bowl together on a tray in a quiet corner. It's your home’s version of taking a deep breath.

Create a Cooling Sanctuary

Summer can be the enemy of sleep. Longer days and warmer nights throw off our circadian rhythms and can leave us tossing and turning. In Feng Shui, the bedroom is considered one of the most important spaces in the home—it’s where you restore your energy and connect to intimacy.

To cool your chi and improve your sleep:

• Swap Heavy Bedding: Opt for breathable linens in light, cooling colors like ivory, pale gray, or sky blue to help regulate body temperature at night.

• Use Blackout Curtains: Blocking out evening light supports melatonin production and signals your body it’s time to rest.

• Remove Fire Colors: Red, bright pink, and angular shapes bring in too much Fire energy—swapping them out can help calm the space.

• Add a Calming Rug: Add a rug to ground the bed and soften the space, especially one with Earth or Water elements in its pattern or texture, think soft light neutrals.

• Hide the Electronics: Keep electronics to a minimum, and if you must have them, cover them at night or place them inside a closed cabinet.

• Keep Just One Plant: Balance with a plant, such as a peace lily or snake plant, which cleans the air and brings in gentle Wood chi for renewal. But only one, too many plants will bring in yang energy.

  
  

Pro Tip: Keep a small bowl of water on your nightstand for the summer months. It’s a symbolic gesture that invites calm and helps "cool" the Fire energy of the space.

Cool the Entryway Energy

In Feng Shui, the front door is the mouth of chi—it’s how energy enters your home. During summer, this energy is bold and fast-moving. You want to greet it with intention.

To slow and soften summer chi at the entry:

• Create a Pause Spot: Add a small bench or chair to encourage a pause as you enter.

• Anchor with Greenery: Place potted plants near the door to anchor the energy.

• Choose a Grounding Mat: Use a welcome mat with a grounding pattern (avoid red or flame-like designs).

• Let Energy Flow: Avoid mirrors directly facing the door—they can bounce energy right back out!

  
  

If you live in a warmer climate, consider setting up a cool, shaded entryway using a pergola, tall plants, or a light-filtering awning to visually and energetically slow the chi before it enters your home.

Rethink Your Fire Element Placement

Fire is not the villain—we want it in summer! Just not everywhere. The goal is to balance.

Tips for healthy Fire energy in summer:

• Place Fire Strategically: Position red candles or triangular objects in the Fame & Reputation area (back center) of your space.

• Limit Fire in Rest Areas: Avoid Fire elements in bedrooms, bathrooms, and entryways during warmer months.

• Avoid Overdoing Fire Decor: Skip animal prints, intense reds, and harsh lighting to keep energy balanced year-round.

• Use Natural Light Wisely: Let sunlight in by opening curtains, then soften the warmth with cool textures and gentle colors.

Create Yin Spaces for Summer Retreat

Yin and Yang are central concepts in Feng Shui. Yang is active, bright, and loud (hello, summer parties!). Yin is restful, dark, and cool. If your home is overly Yang this time of year, create Yin sanctuaries.

Create your Yin zone:

• Pick a Softly Lit Spot: Look for a corner with dappled light or gentle shade.

• Layer in Comfort: Use low furniture, soft fabrics, and textured decor.

• Add Soothing Sounds: Try wind chimes, a small fountain, or ambient music.

• Use Calming Scents: Light a candle in lavender, sandalwood, or mint to ease the mood.

  
  

  This becomes your summer retreat—perfect for morning meditation, afternoon reading, or unwinding before bed.

  
  

Final Touches:

Seasonal Adjustments That Make a Difference

Feng Shui isn’t about major overhauls. Small, thoughtful adjustments create big, energetic shifts.

Try these finishing touches:

• Lighten the Art: Swap dark or heavy pieces for breezy scenes in soft blues or florals.

• Soften Furniture: Use linen or cotton slipcovers to visually cool the space.

• Add Fresh Greenery: Grow herbs by the kitchen window to invite life and Water energy.

• Brighten the Chi: Diffuse citrus or mint essential oils for a fresh, uplifting vibe.

Bringing It All Together

Cooling your chi for summer isn’t about making your home sterile or uninviting—it’s about styling your space so that it supports your spirit in the season you’re in. When the sun is blazing and life is moving fast, your home should feel like a retreat: elegant, effortless, and deeply nurturing.

And when I say styling your space, I mean curating a home that feels intentional, elevated, and completely soul-soothing. Think of it as swapping your wool coat for your favorite flowy linen dress—still you, just seasonally in tune.

Ready to Cool Things Down?

Take a walk around your home this week. What feels hot, overstimulating, or unbalanced? Start with one area—maybe your bedroom, your entryway, or even your back patio—and apply just a few of these tips. You’ll be amazed how quickly the energy shifts.

Because cooling the chi is really about one thing: coming back to yourself. Your pace. Your peace. Your perfect summer rhythm.

By Dee Oujiri

Feng Shui Strategist & Holistic Realtor

Dee Oujiri is the founder of The Feng Shui Edit, where she blends ancient wisdom with modern luxury to create spaces that elevate and heal. A certified Feng Shui Red Ribbon Professional and Biophilic Design Practitioner, Dee specializes in crafting sanctuaries that swap inflammation triggers for “I woke up like this” calm and turn homes into powerhouses of abundance. With over 25 years of corporate strategy experience, Dee doesn’t just rearrange furniture—she engineers energy flow to amplify wealth, health, and confidence.