Feng shui is a pretty intimidating concept. For a 24-year-old girl who uses nail polish as an anxiety-relieving coping mechanism, let’s just say that harnessing energy forces in my immediate environment has never really been something that’s crossed my mind. However, that’s all about to change, because Valentine’s Day is officially upon us and if moving my wardrobe from one side of the room to the other is going to help my dating life, then I’m here for it.

Thanks to Bumble, SCREENSHOT got to sit down with feng shui expert and TikTok king Cliff Tan to have a session about how to effectively use feng shui as a way to bring romance into your life. I feel as though the most accurate way to describe Tan is like being in the presence of the human embodiment of excitement. He’s infectiously honest and I walked away from our chat feeling ready to instruct all of my friends on the importance of feng shui.

Having a clear headspace is crucial when it comes to dating. According to Bumble, 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. So listen up, okay?

With a TikTok following of over 2.9 million, Tan has established himself as the go-to guy when it comes to understanding feng shui. Tan’s ability to break down confusing and potentially overwhelming concepts into bitesize, enjoyable videos is undoubtedly the reason why his content is always so high-performing:

@dearmodern

Often the most annoying frustrations can be fixed with the most unexpected and simple solutions, moving a litter box, throwing expired food, straightening some books or even changing the design of your chairs can make a world if a difference

♬ original sound - Mr Cliff Tan

@dearmodern

the entrance of this house is so badly placed! but here's a solution to fix it and make it Feng shui

♬ Souvenir De Paris - Martin Taylor

@dearmodern

the worst possible bed placement in Feng Shui - the death or coffin position and how to deal with it

♬ いのちの名前（千と千尋の神隠し） - Kazumi Tateishi Trio

Tan first started his TikTok channel after being quarantined in Singapore during COVID. As I’m sure we all know, the feng shui in a hotel room is usually way off, so it was a great place for Tan to begin his journey.

The first thing Tan and I discussed was the biggest mistake someone can make when it comes to trying to properly energise their living space. Number one on the list? Not having your space reflect what it is you want in life. As Tan puts it, “you will have someone say ‘Oh, I want love’ and then you look at their space and it’s the opposite of just that. That’s against the rule. Or ‘all I want is a great career’ and you see that their home is totally bad for working. A lot of the time, when the answer is just obvious, it’s just there, but they don’t realise it. And I don’t blame them. When you live in a space for too long, you get so used to it, that you forget that it’s a thing. You forget.”

So, let’s say it is romance you’re looking for. The solution? Create your very own love corner—and no, it isn’t as seedy as it sounds. According to Tan’s insights, “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.”

Now, a love corner doesn’t have to quite literally look like the corner of a “love” shop. This concept is more meant to symbolise intention, placing things or objects that make you feel happy and content in a place easily noticeable from bed. It’s all about helping your brain to find focus and clarity on what it is you truly want.

@dearmodern

Happy Valentines to everyone whether you have your own little tiger or not! And for the record, if you are polyamorous, keep the third tiger!🐯

♬ L-O-V-E - White Knight Instrumental

@dearmodern

#ad @bumble For Lunar New Year and Valentine's, let's manifest love in our room with these tips!

♬ original sound - Mr Cliff Tan

The best part is, your love corner is unique to you, boo. Tan himself has said he’s seen the likes of “skulls” and “black crows” in some people’s sexy spaces—you do you.

Sadly, on my part, London living means that my home is not exactly primed for feng shui. In fact, I think Tan was audibly aghast when I explained to him the dimensions of my room. And, after multiple attempts from him to try and rectify these issues and move my furniture around, we came to the conclusion that I might be slightly doomed. For context, at the beginning of our conversation, I’d asked him what the worst feng shui nightmare he’d ever been faced with was, and after running him through my own situation, he told me: “Remember your first question, the one about my worst feng shui nightmare? I think you’re the one.”

However, forever the positive architect, Tan did give me a lot of tips to help me optimise my environment. Because I am sadly sans desk, he told me to invest in some heavy-duty pillows so that I can place them up against the wall and turn my sleeping domain into a working daybed situation. Plus, I think he was a fan of my very Gen Z-coded salt lamp—mainly because it means I never have to worry about putting the horrific big light on.

@joshandmattdesign

I think big light lovers liked playing hospital too much as a kid lmao 🤭❤️ #interiordesign #lighting #biglight #lamp

♬ original sound - Josh & Matt

@interiorbygini

What the audio said 🤷🏼‍♀️ #interiortok #interiortiktok #hometok #hometiktok #hometiktokker #interiortiktoker #viral #foryou #foryoupage #fy #fyp

♬ original sound - GeeOfDee

Last but not least, if we’re going to get our rooms ready for love, we have to make sure our spaces are fresh, with no lingering rumblings or remains of exes hiding in corners or draws. One of Bumble’s main insights is the importance of cobwebbing—i.e. clearing out your ex’s stuff to make room for new flames. Just like how you would chuck a load of your old clothes on Vinted before summer hits, remove the items that simply don’t serve you anymore. Go on, do it!

And if you’re ever concerned about the placement of your wardrobe or big floor lamp, you know where to find Tan.