Our Holistic Take on Interior Design: From the Inside Out
We spend about a third of our lives in our bedrooms. How does yours make you feel?
When we think of interior design, we often start with the visual: colors, furniture, textures, and lighting.
Nowadays, you hear people referencing “the story” behind the design. And, maybe that gets someone closer to design with them in mind, but it can miss some fundamental insights.
Finding true harmony in a space doesn't begin with what we see—it begins with who we are.
At Balance By The Bay, we approach design from the inside out. That means we don’t just style a room—we use a layered approach that aligns it with your energy, timing, and personal path. The result is a space that looks good but also feels right to you, supports your clarity, and strengthens your well-being.
The First Step Is You
Your lifestyle would certainly inform some of the aesthetic choices in traditional interior design. In holistic design, we can go much deeper. We begin by examining your Four Pillars of Astrology (or Bazi) chart—an ancient Chinese method for understanding your energetic blueprint.
What elements strengthen you (if you need to be strengthened)?
What elements weaken you (if you have certain elements that are too strong)?
Where are your natural rhythms and cycles?
What environments support your decision-making, rest, or growth?
Are certain areas of the home better suited to support working from home or other activities?
This personalized insight becomes the foundational layer for the spatial, directional, and design choices.
Do you know what energy your house it? Chances are you don’t, but it can help inform decisions.
Your Home Has an Energy Type
Next, we assess how your home’s energy interacts with your energy. Every home carries energetic patterns, some of which may support you, and others that counter or work against you.
Using Classical Feng Shui methods, including the East/West Group (also widely known as Eight Mansions), alongside another compass method that considers the element of time, known as Flying Star analysis, we can thoroughly assess how your home interacts with your personal energy.
Through this comprehensive approach, we can determine whether your living space works harmoniously with you or presents subtle challenges that might hinder your well-being.
Have you ever felt “off” in a room, even when it’s beautifully decorated? That dissonance often stems from unseen energy misalignments, not visual flaws.
(Your Home also has a House Type — 1 of 4 + the Locked Type — but we can cover that in another post.)
Designing for Alignment and Well-being—not just Decoration
Once we understand your energy and the space’s energy, we continue our evaluation process. The space planning is of primary importance, along with landform feng shui principles that offer visual cues of energy moving through your home.
Some of what we consider:
What materials help harmonize you with your space?
How should the layout support the way energy moves through the rooms?
Does the home offer you a variety of zones for relaxing, entertaining, and working?
Which areas of the home are more beneficial for your specific chart?
Are there entrances that are favorable, and how do we improve that entrances’ look and feel?
Does the exterior of the home (color palette, style, landscaping) support the home’s energy or counter it?
These are just a few design considerations made with intention, but with aesthetics and you in mind.
We take cues from exteriors about the interior. What does your home say about you?
The Result: A Space That Feels Like You
This approach transforms the design process into something more meaningful. You’re not just styling a home—you’re aligning your environment with who you are and where you’re going.
Clients often say they feel lighter, clearer, or more at ease after a design shift. That’s the power of working from the inside out.
Final Thoughts
Holistic interior design isn’t about perfection—it’s about energetic resonance. By understanding your personal path first and designing in alignment with it, we create spaces that nurture and support you, helping you to thrive.
If you're ready to explore what your space could feel like when it's working with you—not against you—I’d love to start that conversation. Get in touch.
