What can you say about Autumn? It’s leaves and Halloween; it’s confusion about whether the clocks go back or forwards (it’s back, by the way); it’s a time to get those coppery-brown, woolly clothes out; and it’s the time to settle down and watch some great TV.

We’ve got loads of toasty shows to keep you warm this season. There are all-new episodes of Glee, high-concept dino-drama Terra Nova, not to mention brilliant original and imported comedy like This is Jinsy, Modern Family and Spy, just to name a few.

But what about the room you’re watching TV in? Are you comfortable there, or do you feel a little … squirmy? Maybe you need to arrange your TV room according to Feng Shui principles.

Feng Shui literally means ‘wind-water’ and is a way of arranging space to be in balance with the Earth's natural energy.  It has been practised in China and other parts of Asia for thousands of years.

We've spoken to the experts for their their tips on how you can set your TV room up according to the principles of this ancient system. We can't offer any guarantees, but who knows? Maybe they'll work for you. 

Who we spoke to

Priya Sher is a former management consultant and now full time Feng Shui consultant living in London. She says: “Feng Shui to me is a sensible way to harness the energy of the environment to benefit those living within it.”

Priya’s TV room top tips:

1. Select furniture in proportion to the room size: not too big for a small room and vice versa.
2. If you can, avoid placing your TV in the south, southeast or east of the room. It’s best to place it to the west, northwest or north.
3. Balance the colour of the room against the amount of natural light it gets. So, for instance, if your TV room gets plenty of natural light, avoid bright or light coloured walls.
4. Avoid painting the walls bright shades of red, pink or purple. “ These would make the energy of the room too active.”
5. Place a tall plant with soft leaves in the corner diagonally opposite the door to activate money energy.

New York’s Ann Bingley Gallops began learning about Feng Shui back in 1996, working her way toward full professional qualification. “Despite the foreignness of its name, its ideas for my space helped me create the balance and harmony I needed in my life,” she says.

Ann’s TV room top tips:

1. Don’t hang your TV above a fireplace. “Its electricity creates excess heat in combination with the ‘Fire-y’ symbolism of the hearth.”
2. Make sure your TV fits the space well. You’ll strain to see one that’s too small for the space, and be forced too far back if your TV is too big.
3. Sit across from the door and make sure you have a clear view it, which gives you the greatest visual control of the room. “This powerful spot is called the ‘ Command Position’.”
4. Paint your walls with rich, mellow tones like sage and ivory “ to help absorb some of the Chi energy coming from the bright TV picture.”
5. Clear the clutter. It’s a top Feng Shui tip for any room.

Sasha Lee is a San Francisco-based Feng Shui consultant, who was formerly an art director in the film and TV industry. “Feng Shui is the study of time, location and space,” she explains.

Sasha’s TV room top tips:

1. Don’t put your TV at the centre of your home. “The centre is Tai-Chi, the heart of the home, and should be left alone.”
2. Position the TV so you’re facing your personal auspicious direction.
3. Make sure your TV is in one of your home’s auspicious locations.
4. Make sure your furniture is positioned in full view of your room’s entrance.
5. Make sure your TV room gets plenty of fresh air and natural light. “ It can get too dark and become too Yin.”

It’s almost a CSI to Feng Shui tale for Michael Oon. Now based in Woking, he was once a Scotland Yard forensic scientist. For him Feng Shui is all about living in harmony with nature and environment: “ In the TV room, how do you fit into the room, then how does your TV room fit into the house. In the bigger picture, how does your home fit into its surroundings or the town?”

Michael’s top tips:

1. Don’t watch TV sitting on the floor. Sit on the couch, cushions or chairs.
2. Keep your room’s colour scheme, decorations and furniture neutral. Bright colours are unsettling while dull colours encourage sleep.
3. In your TV room, the TV is the mean feature. Make sure other decorations are secondary.
4. Use dimmable lights for optimal viewing conditions.
5. Be neat and tidy. Make sure you have a bin handy for all your rubbish.

Maureen K. Calamia is an architecture enthusiast, Feng Shui practitioner and Feng Shui instructor at New York’s Metropolitan Institute of Design. “Everything – natural and man-made – vibrates to a specific frequency,” she explains. “To have health and well-being, we need to maintain a connection to the earth and its natural materials.”

Maureen’s top tips:

1. Place seating in an L-shaped configuration to promote social engagement.
2. Make sure there are no 90-degree angles pointing directly at any of the seats from walls, beams or furniture, as this can promote restless energy, even conflict. If there are sharp angles, try to soften them by rearranging seating or using plants or fabric.
3. Try not to position any seating with its back to the main doorway, which can make people feel vulnerable.
4. Ignore the interior decoration magazines that place the TV above the fireplace. That’s not a comfortable viewing position.
5. De-clutter the space.

Happy viewing!