I love Feng Shui! Whether you believe this ancient Asian design method is based on ancient wisdom or superstition, Feng Shui includes some valuable principles and is simply fun! Consider these Feng Shui rules:

- Don't sleep with your feet facing the bedroom door.

- Place head of bed so that you can see the doorway.

- Don't sleep next to the wall that has the meter box on it.

- Don't place head of bed next to a bathroom wall.

So where do my husband and I put our bed according to these rules? In our bedroom with four walls, one wall is all closets, one wall backs up to the bathroom, one wall is all doors opening to the garden, and the last one (oh my!) has the meter box on it! Not to worry, Feng Shui has all kinds of rules to fix any problem, including using crystals and houseplants to counteract negative energy.

Design Psychology, based on years of scientific research, comes to some of the same conclusions that Feng Shui practitioners, based on years of experience, utilize. But Design Psychology boldly contradicts the Feng Shui rule that you can't sleep with your feet facing the bedroom door.

Design Psychology creates rooms to support happiness and well-being. The bedroom, a personal space for refreshment and enjoyment, requires attention to details like the bed placement for comfort. As the main attraction, the bed is usually the focal point of the room. Therefore, position the headboard directly opposite the doorway up against a wall. This creates the visual expansion of the room and underscores the bed's importance. A greater reason to place the bed so that it faces the doorway is for a feeling of security. People feel safe when they can easily see the door.

The bed represents the beginning and ending of life. In the past, people were conceived, born, and they died in the same bed. You spend more time in your bed than in any other piece of furniture. So, follow Feng Shui rules or Design Psychology principles and place your bed with the head facing the entrance of the room. Not only will this spot reinforce the bed's significance in your design plan, you will feel comfortable and sleep well!

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, Design Psychology Professor, is the author of "Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits" and other books. Sign up to her "Joy to the Home" ezine at http://www.joytothehome.com/.

Explore Design Psychology at http://www.designpsych.com/.