Feeling Stuffy in Your Space? Consider Feng Shui

Put the sledgehammer and the Property Brothers marathons away, because Whitney Port just dropped a With Whit episode that turns cluttered apartments into calm power-pads with no demolition needed thanks to Feng Shui. 

Guest Anjie Cho, licensed architect and celebrated Feng Shui teacher, walks listeners through the “wind-and-water” wisdom that keeps chi flowing and confidence soaring.

What exactly is feng shui?

“Feng shui is a practice that comes from Asia,” Cho explains to Port. “[Practitioners] are looking at their environment and seeing the best way to situate yourself with the natural world.” At its linguistic core, “feng shui translates to wind and water”—two elements everybody (and every apartment) needs to thrive. 

Cho also offers a modern spin on the ancient practice.“I have my own definition of feng shui as a mindfulness of space,” she says. In other words, the practice rewards anyone who pays attention to how a room’s setup affects mood, focus, and overall vibe.

Who is Anjie Cho?

According to her bio, “since 1999, [Cho] has been designing beautiful and nourishing spaces…informed by the ancient practice of feng shui and meditation.” Beyond private clients, Cho co-founded the Mindful Design Feng Shui School and authored Mindful Homes, a step-by-step guide to bringing Feng Shui into your space and heal from clutter, so her advice balances practical design expertise with centuries-old philosophy.

Her step-by-step guide to modern feng shui is far from cloaked in mystery:

• Declutter with kindness. Cho advises, “What has maybe been helpful and soothing in the past is no longer soothing for you…approach it with gentleness and kindness.” Start small and ditch judgment; momentum follows.
  
• Find the commanding position. Ideal placement means “your back is against a wall…and you can see the door without directly being in line with the door.” Beds, desks, even stoves gain instant energetic authority when arranged this way.
  
• Stop working in “time-out.” A desk smashed against drywall feels like punishment: “Facing a wall doesn’t allow you to move forward,” Cho explains. Rotate toward open space to widen literal and metaphorical horizons.
  
• Locate the money corner. When sitting at a rectangular desk, “the far left corner…is the abundance area.” Keep bills elsewhere, add a purple accent, or ring a tiny bell to invite opportunity.
  
• Treat the bedroom like VIP real estate. Cho notes the most neglected zone is the bedroom, even though it’s the body’s nightly charging dock.
  
• Let plants do the heavy lifting. Real greenery “brings in life-force energy” and…“uplifts the chi in a space,” Cho reveals. A pothos can handle a low-light apartment without judgment.
  
• Remember the point. Above all, you want “a space can be a place that supports you, nourishes you, and can also offer a lot of teachings.” Your floor plan is a silent mentor—listen up.
  

Feng Shui rewards curiosity: observe, tweak, and watch the ripple. As Cho says, a thoughtfully arranged space “invites chi” and keeps fight-or-flight responses in check. Swap frustration for flow, and let every corner of the home whisper, “You’ve got this.”