TikTok Feng Shui expert Cliff Tan on how to make room for love this Valentine's Day

Love is in the air for many as today is Valentine’s Day, and February 14 is the perfect time to ditch the leftovers of romances past.

That is because new research from Bumble shows that almost half of people on Bumble in the UK (42 per cent) are more motivated to go after what they want in relationships.

An example of making room for the new (romance)can be as easy as removing items that do not serve you anymore.

TikTok Feng Shui expert and architect Cliff Tan (@dearmodern) has spoken to indy100 on how to make room for romance this Valentine’s Day.

Our home is where we spend the most time, while how we decorate it reflects our personality, and Tan explained the impact our space can have on our romantic relationships.

“When it comes to Feng Shui, your environment, your space is really important because your environment affects how you feel and in turn how you perform,” Tan told indy100.

He added that home should feel “calm and relaxing,” to create an atmosphere that encourages love.

“So you have your bed nicely done, you ideally have space on both sides of your bed to create balance,” and gave hotel rooms as an example where there are two lamps and tables on each side of the bed.

For your home to be an inviting space for someone to join you, then getting rid of clutter is a must as it doesn’t make us feel that we’re ready for love, according to Tan.

“A messy home makes you feel like ‘I’m not confident, I don’t want to invite anybody over,” and noted how you want to make a “nice first impression,” with your space.

With this in mind, Bumble recently identified the dating trend ‘Cobwebbing’, which refers to people clearing out their ex’s stuff (both physical and emotional) from their life to make way for meaningful connections.

“Having things left over by your previous partners – for good or for bad – will affect how you feel about your new love,” Tan said on holding on to things from exes.

He recommends clearing out those reminders of relationships past “even if it is very expensive" and this will “help you approach a new relationship with a fresh pair of eyes and mind-set”.

When it comes to colours, we all have our personal preferences and the Feng Shui expert said: “All colours work depending on how you match them.”

Tan shared that in Feng Shui, colours are “chosen based on the direction on the compass,” and this is because “the different directions have different kinds of environmental conditions,” as the East is where the Sun rises, the South has sunlight all day long, while the North doesn’t really have Sun.

“Vibrant colours pick up on that Southern light, whereas facing North more subdued tones are used to create something more cool, chill, and relaxing,” Tan added.

While we would class wood as brown in colour, in Feng Shui the element of wood is characterised by greens and blues because it’s all about “liveliness and growth” associated with plants, in contrast, the colour brown is “very stable” as it is represented by the Earth element.

Here are some more Feng Shui tips from Tan on making room for romance with Bumble

Arrange your mind before your space 🧠

Feng Shui is all about making your environment work for you to support your mental well-being.

Having a clear headspace can help you decide what you’re looking for from a relationship. According to Bumble, nearly half (47 per cent) of single people are clearer about what they want from their dating life than they were this time last year, and having a clear head can help you gain this clarity.

“It’s really about trying to know what you want,” Tan commented. “So your space should reflect you and the things that you enjoy that comes from your experiences.”

“Don’t arrange your home to make it look nice like on an Instagram page, it’s about making a space you feel comfortable in.”

For a start, acknowledge your emotional needs by creating a sitting area in your room for you to take a break. Take some time there to discover what you need from your love life in 2024.

Create balance through furniture 🛏️

As mentioned earlier, balance is important in love.

Create this sense of balance by rearranging your furniture to have space on both sides of your bed, and place bedside tables with table lamps on each side.

Not only does this bring brightness to your room, but it signifies a space for someone else there. If there isn’t enough space to place the bed in the centre, you can place it in a corner but have items to represent space for two, such as a loveseat or two chairs.

For those making the most of a smaller space, Tan advises to “try to let your furniture flow and connect to become one bigger surface,” by using lighter colours, matching neutrals, and ensuring your furniture is of a similar size.

Make space, literally🧹

The only way someone can enter your life is if you make space for them - literally. Clear and organise your room so that it is free of clutter and ready to take in new things.

Tan previously explained how a messy home can make you feel less confident, particularly if you’re inviting a romantic partner into your space.

A tidy and clean room will not only make it more enjoyable but also allow positive energy to flow freely and stay within your space.

Set the right atmosphere with lighting 🛋️

Once your room is clean and tidy, the next step is to set the ambience to hit the right tone. Avoid harsh, overhead lights or naked bulbs at all costs.

“Lighting is very important,” Tan recommends calming lighting to create a “nice ambience.”

“Try to avoid relying on that single bulb in your ceiling,” as it can cast “horrible shadows on your face”.

Instead, use indirect, soft lighting, or even candles to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Pink is a colour that works well, so you may consider salt lamps or even choose the sweet hue for your bedding and accessories.

Love Corner ❤️

Feng Shui is not complete without a special corner to display things that will remind you of the beauty of love. The Love Corner in Feng Shui is usually a corner visible from the bed and deep inside the room away from the entrance. Within it, you traditionally place objects that symbolise love.

“The love corner is a nice pretty corner in your room where you can put things that remind you of love,” another example Tan gave is a money corner which is there to remind you of wealth.

The reason they are in a corner, according to Tan is because you want to “create more focus” on those aspects in your life.

Embrace freshness 🍃

Lastly, when you want to welcome fresh love, ensure that your space reflects that you are mentally fresh too.

As previously highlighted, Bumble identified a trend of ‘Cobwebbing’, clearing out your ex’s stuff to make room for new flames, and this is a great way to bring romance into your room.

Just like how you would spring clean ahead of the summer, opening yourself up to romance can start with something as simple as removing items that don’t serve you anymore - particularly those from their exes.

A fresh, neutral space clear of the heaviness of the past will certainly help you move forward and start afresh in 2024.

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