The gentle, ancient art of feng shui means living in harmony with the environment. It’s borne of astrology and astronomy yet, today, it’s known more colloquially as arranging furniture to direct energy or Qi.
Feng shui is a relatively recent import to the Western world, gaining fame in the 1970s. It wouldn’t take long to earn critics. The magazine Slate referred to feng shui as “more superstition than science” in 1997 in a critique against the “false-exotic”.
Marie Kondo
Superstition or not, feng shui – like modern astrology – is a popular hobby, guiding everything from kitchen details to doorway angles. It even has its own, perfectly-aligned niche in pop culture, partially due to the work of Marie Kondo.
However, the Feng Shui Flip game is arguably the most unlikely place to find such an art. Made by Playtech, it’s a double-reel slot machine listed on the Paddy Power website (https://games.paddypower.com/c/slots) alongside similar titles like Fortune Coin and Chinese Treasures.
Feng Shui Flip is a little ironic, combining themes of luck and fortune with the usual bombast of slot machine gameplay. It also takes its cues from dynastic China, rather than the steel and glass of a downtown office.
About Marie Kondo, this Japanese speaker is a lifelong feng shui student and champion of the KonMari method of tidying up. The latter involves deciding which possessions “spark joy”. Marie Kondo’s way of organisation even made it into a plot of the FOX TV show Family Guy (1718).
Capturing Qi
So, how does feng shui adapt itself to the 21st century? Capturing Qi, a project by design graduate Yoojin Chung has explored the smart home concept by creating a trio of internet-enabled furnishings. These are pictured on the StirPad website: https://www.stirpad.com/news/stir-news/.
Consisting of a crystal ball, water fountain, and wind chime, Capturing Qi does have a serious message, namely, that feng shui has been commercialised to the point that it’s unrecognisable. For example, Amazon sells tools for detecting Qi for over £100.
Qi, in this case, is the earth’s magnetism and various gases.
It’s unfortunate that speakers like Marie Kondo may have inadvertently contributed to feng shui’s commodification by making the concept more accessible to a mass audience. Googling feng shui reveals that the tradition has been reduced to a few bullet points online, such as on the Better Homes and Garden page: https://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/.
Pseudoscience
Yoojin Chung’s creations don’t seem to do anything magical, fitting with their ironic nature. The connected app creates an illusion inside each object. Water flows through the fountain, the chimes move in the breeze, and the crystal ball spins.
Feng Shui in Modern Living and Interior Design
Feng Shui continues to inspire people looking to create balanced, calming spaces that reflect both style and wellbeing. While the ancient practice has evolved through modern interpretations, its core focus remains the same, encouraging harmony between people and their surroundings. From thoughtful room layouts to intentional décor choices, Feng Shui offers a mindful approach that blends traditional ideas with contemporary lifestyles.
How Feng Shui Influences Modern Homes
Today, Feng Shui reaches far beyond interior design trends, influencing smart home concepts, decluttering philosophies, and wellness-focused living. Although debates continue over its scientific basis, many people appreciate its emphasis on creating peaceful environments and making intentional design choices. Whether embraced as tradition or inspiration, Feng Shui remains a fascinating part of modern culture and continues to shape how people think about their homes.
In Chung’s words, when used over time, “the more success you have”.
Oddly enough, devices aren’t alien to feng shui. A luopan or compass has been a companion to practitioners since about the 13th century. It points to the south magnetic pole and contains forty rings with relevant feng shui formulae.
Does it work? That’s up to the user. Qi is a storied phenomenon that has outlived civilisations but, like astrology, it’s firmly in the realm of pseudoscience.
