Combining interior design and feng shui, we’ve crafted the ultimate guide to creating a space for rest and reflection.

by Marissa Lada
Interior Design | Feng Shui | Holistic Homes | Owner of Honey Lune Hivery

In a world where every ping, post, and plan pulls our attention outward, creating a sanctuary that pulls us back inward is a quiet act of restoration.

Our nervous systems weren’t designed for constant alerts, multitasking, and the endless hum of modern life. And your surroundings can either drain your energy or replenish it.

Even a few intentional minutes spent in stillness each day helps reset our internal compass. Think of your Zen Den as an exhale – a physical reminder to return to yourself.

What is a Zen Den?

A Zen Den is a space where you can relax and unwind. Typically, it’s only a small space within a room – ideally a corner – since many of us don’t have the luxury of a whole room designed for this purpose.

A Zen Den’s main function is to provide relaxation, restoration, self-care, and reflection. It can also be used as a meditation corner. Having a place you can go that instantly provides this feeling of peace is important for our mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Combining interior design and feng shui (an ancient Chinese art of energy and placement), we have crafted the ultimate guide to creating your perfect Zen Den.

Your Zen Den doesn’t need to be elaborate. What matters most is the intention behind it – a space that feels sacred, safe, and aligned with your energy. Whether it’s the corner of your bedroom or a windowsill with a single candle, it’s a threshold between your outer life and your inner world.

Did you know: In Japanese culture, there’s a similar concept called “Ma” (間) – the sacred pause between things. A Zen Den, in essence, is your “Ma” made visible.

Why use a corner?

In feng shui, corners often pool energy. This is typically undesirable in feng shui, since you want to keep the qi (energy) flowing throughout your room.

However, in terms of creating an intentional corner, this slow and stagnant energy can be used in your favour!

Harness this slow qi by creating your Zen Den in a corner of a room. Typically, this is a more private room such as a bedroom or office.

Corners can be like still pools in the river of your home’s energy. By transforming them consciously, you redirect that quiet energy into a gentle vortex of restoration. In feng shui, you’re not just decorating, you’re choreographing how life force moves through your space.

To deepen the effect, face your corner toward natural light or a view that brings you joy. If that’s not possible, add a small lamp with a warm glow to mimic sunrise energy.

Easy guide to create your own Zen Den

Create an altar

One of the first steps in creating your Zen Den space is to create an altar. Altars are frequently associated with a specific emotion or energy. 

An altar is not what you may ordinarily consider, which is typically through a religious lens.

An altar is your display of intention and purpose.

This is why they are more often used in religions, as many altars pay homage to a particular god or deity.

You can create your own special altar with whatever intention you have in mind.

Oftentimes, ‘peace’ is a good intention to start with, or ‘blessings’ ‘gratitude’ ‘clarity’ or ‘love’.

Once you have your intention, work on decorating your space (typically a table top or shelf) with items that have meaning to you that pertain to this energy. For example, if you want to bring in peaceful energy, try objects that calm you, such as scented candles, bath salts, and tranquil pictures of nature.

Your altar acts as an anchor, a visual manifestation of your inner landscape. It reminds you that intention is architecture; energy follows focus.

If your intention is peace, you might include a soft feather, a smooth river stone, or a quote that centers you. For gratitude, a small offering bowl where you place a note each day can help you cultivate appreciation over time.

Keep it fluid. Let your altar evolve as you do, swap items seasonally, or when your emotional weather changes.

Add some house plants

In feng shui, plants add additional energy to a space, and as corners have slower qi, the house plants will help to increase the energy of your area.

House plants also hold a lot of great benefits. Studies have shown that they actually create a more calming environment. So what better reason than to add a couple (or ten) to your zen corner?

• Some good starter plants are pothos and philodendrons. Hang these in planter baskets for a jungle vibe overhead.
• Snake plants and ZZ plants are perfect to pot on the ground and can create a nice little container for the good energy in this corner.
• Corn plants and Dracaena are other good, low-maintenance plant options.

Plants are living embodiments of growth and renewal. Their silent, steady presence reminds us that nourishment and expansion happen quietly over time.
Choose plants that resonate with your personality, trailing vines for dreamers, structured succulents for minimalists, flowering ones for those seeking joy and beauty.

Did you know: According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, certain plants like peace lilies and snake plants purify indoor air, literally helping you breathe easier while you unwind.

Work with scents

It’s a sense that gets undervalued, but bringing in smells into your space is a very powerful tool in creating an intention and feeling for a space.

Every nose is different, and thankfully there are tons of smells to satisfy whatever your sniffer prefers.

• If you want more floral, jasmine and lavender are good for peace.
• If you crave citrus, lemongrass or orange brings in more energy.
• If you like more earthy flavours, pine, sandalwood, and amber are all smells that bring a cosy and grounding vibe.

There are plenty of options for incorporating scents. A scented candle is a classic that also offers a warm and cosy glow when lit. Diffusers and essential oils are another wonderful options, as you can change up your scent frequently.

Scents bypass the logical mind and speak directly to memory and emotion, one breath can transport you to a place of serenity or spark renewed energy.

Try experimenting with the rhythm of scent: a grounding aroma for morning stillness and a soothing one for evening rest. Keep a small “scent ritual” notebook where you note how each fragrance affects your mood, you’ll begin to map your own aromatherapy blueprint.

Bring in crystals

Crystals have become popular for their beautiful structures, vibrant colours, and radiant energy. While often they are worn as jewellery or in a small tumbled stone form, you can use larger crystal specimens for crafting the perfect energy for your Zen Den.

The type of crystal is important when choosing your stones.

• Do you want more peace? Then amethyst or celestite contains some tranquil calming energy.
• Want more love? Rose quartz is a go-to.
• Looking for clarity and focus? Sodalite or Labradorite is up your alley.

Just as the type of crystal is important, so is the shape.

• Geodes will help to contain the energy in a certain area
• Clusters will radiate the vibrations in all directions
• Spheres are good for balancing energy
• Cubes are good for grounding it

Get the shape and type of crystal that suits you and your space best.

Crystals are like energetic tuning forks, they harmonise and stabilise the vibration of a space. Their beauty alone reminds you of nature’s hidden geometry.

You can enhance their energy by setting a clear intention when placing them. For example: “May this rose quartz soften my heart” or “May this labradorite awaken clarity.” Energy responds to direction, your words and attention complete the circuit.

Did you know: Ancient builders often embedded crystals in temples and pyramids, not just for beauty, but for resonance. They believed these stones amplified spiritual frequencies.

Add some squish

Since a Zen Den corner is a place to unwind, relax, and gain clarity, it makes sense that you’d be staying here for a while. It’s not very relaxing to be sitting on a hard wooden floor for twenty minutes. Try adding a nice seating option to this space to provide some cosiness.

If you are wanting to go the more traditional meditation route, a nice floor pillow will do the job. But if you are planning to do some reading, journaling, or other relaxing activities, a chair might suit you better.

Comfort is a frequency too. Choose textures that your body instinctively relaxes into plush fabrics, natural fibres, or layered throws.

If space allows, create a sensory cocoon: a soft blanket, a warm cup of tea, a playlist of flowing instrumental sounds. Your Zen Den should invite your whole being – body, mind, and spirit – to soften.

How to use your Zen Den

Now that you have created your Zen Den, it is important to maintain upkeep on the space. Here are a couple of tips in using your Zen Den.

Make it a daily habit

You might have heard this before, but consistency is key. It takes about 21 days to form a habit, so for you to reap the benefits of your Zen Den, make sure to visit it every day.

It works best if you stick to a certain time, like either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.  Spend about 10-20 minutes (if not longer) to unwind, relax, and enjoy.

Ritual creates rhythm, and rhythm creates harmony. Visiting your Zen Den daily is less about discipline and more about devotion to your wellbeing.

Over time, your nervous system will begin to associate this space with peace. Even walking past it will cue your body to exhale.

Be sure to cleanse your corner

Since Zen Dens are spaces to relax and unwind all of the stress and negativity from your day, these spaces need extra cleaning care. That’s because this energy we dump can linger and stay in these spaces. This can negatively affect the benefits we can receive from these spaces, and these bad vibes are also impacting the space.

It’s important to energetically cleanse these corners to remove these lower vibrations and to keep the good vibes flowing in. One of the easiest and fastest ways to cleanse is by using clearing herbs. Sage, Rosemary, Pine, and Lavender are all good herbs to clear a space with.

Sound is also a good method. Try a singing bowl or a chime to break up these stagnant vibrations.

Just as dust gathers on objects, stagnant energy gathers in spaces. Cleansing isn’t superstition; it’s energetic hygiene.

If you prefer a modern twist, try misting the air with a blend of essential oils, or play a sound frequency track at 432Hz – a tone believed to restore natural harmony.

Now that you have the tools needed to create your ultimate Zen Den, remember, have fun! This is your personal oasis, so add what feels good for YOU and you alone.

Your Zen Den doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to feel like you. As you evolve, so will it. Treat it as a living space that mirrors your inner growth, your moods, and your journey toward peace. When life feels noisy, your Zen Den will always whisper you back to your Self.

[AI generated imagery used in this blog]