Feng Shui Entrances - Front and Side Doors
A Feng Shui Entrance – Clean and Inviting
Your entrance is a message to the world about who you are, what you believe about yourself and what you want in life. Since the front door brings all of life’s opportunities to you, make sure you Feng Shui entrances and doors so there is no blocking of the energy. There will not be balance in a home if the entrance is hidden or the door does not open widely. A Feng Shui entrance also includes the landing and foyer. The entry is the transitioning space for the visitor to feel the space and evaluate the home. The energy around this space should feel free to come in and move freely throughout the house. The entry should be welcoming. Tie your décor around a specific theme that is dramatic, yet not wild. A water fountain in the entrance makes an enchanting sound, calls money to the home and provides an interesting decorative element to the entrance. Make sure the entrance is in proportion to the home. If the entrance is too small, opportunity cannot get through. If it is too large, it will move by too quickly before you can react. Is there aggressive artwork in the front entrance? Sharp pointy objects aren’t the friendliest to encounter up entering. Decorate with rounded curves, a round or oval rug, round mirror, and plants with smooth round leaves. There should be a calm feeling in the entrance so the person is not confused when coming in the home. Adequate lighting and light colored walls are decorative touches that make the entrance feel more open and spacious. A blocked entrance is one where a closet door immediately faces the person entering the house. If this is the case in your entrance, place a mirror behind the closet door. This allows the energy to flow through the door.
Evaluate the entrance you use on an everyday basis. Generally, we talk about the front door as the main entrance, but if you use the side door or garage for entrance to the home, give this door attention too. Usually, we see laundry, bathroom, a mudroom or worse when coming into the house. These entrances should be kept clean and organized. Do not hesitate to hang a favorite print or poster to beautify this entrance. Paint the walls a favorite color. Make this entrance a positive picture for your family to come home to. Keep this side entrance as clean and beautiful as the front door is for guests. The face you present to the world is worth the extra effort.
If you shut your door to all errors truth will be shut out.
- Rabindranath Tagore
A Feng Shui Kitchen – White, Clean and Healthy
Feng Shui Kitchens – Represent Health
Decorating a Feng Shui kitchen is not hard; it just takes using a few common sense tips. What makes Feng Shui kitchens different from other kitchens? The first thing to ensure in the kitchen is having proper ventilation. This promotes health and safety in the kitchen. In Feng Shui, metaphors are prevalent, so kitchens play an important role. We are what we eat, so health is important when it comes to the kitchen. Exposed beams in a kitchen can be oppressive and create ill health. Decorating with rounded edges is always preferable in the kitchen and elsewhere in the home.
The best Feng Shui decorating color for a kitchen is white. White provides a nice healthy contrast to the food prepared in the kitchen. It acts as a backdrop or canvas for the food prepared in the kitchen. Many industrial kitchens are white and stainless steel. These kitchen colors are easy to clean and you know if you see food on a kitchen countertop. Bring in other accent colors into the kitchen from the living room and dining room so there is a nice flow throughout the home. When white is the most prevalent color in the kitchen, natural light is reflected throughout creating a healthy atmosphere as well. Under the kitchen, counter lighting promotes drama and atmosphere. If the kitchen cupboards do not go to the ceiling, up lighting can be achieved to raise the energy of the kitchen even more.
If you are building a new home, Feng Shui principles would say to not place the kitchen close to the front door. Having the kitchen too close to the front door can suggest eating problems. Minimize the impact the kitchen has when entering the home. It is a good idea to place a door or screen blocking off most of the kitchen from the front door. If the home has an open floor plan and it is difficult to block off the kitchen, try to divert the guest’s attention to something else in the room. A nice Feng Shui cure is a sculpture, water fountain, decorative artwork, or some other dramatic piece will provide the needed diversion away from the kitchen.
A traditional kitchen floor plan is based up on the triangle. It is no different in Feng Shui. Keep the fire elements of stove and microwave separated from the water elements of refrigerator, dishwasher and sink. Separate them with wood such as plant if necessary. The stove represents health and wealth so use all of the burners in rotation. It is good to use the stove more often than the microwave, as a “hurried” atmosphere in the kitchen is not great when it comes to flow of energy. Eat slowly with the family and allow the energy of the home to be relaxed and calm. This balance of the energy in the kitchen will flow out into other parts of the home as well and the family will feel a sense of calm and well being.
A house can have integrity, just like a person.
- Ann Rand, The Fountainhead (1943)
A Feng Shui Bedroom - For Harmony in Partnerships
Feng Shui Bedrooms – Decorate with Pairs
Decorating a Feng Shui bedroom is more than picking out bedroom furniture and some colors for the curtains. Feng Shui bedrooms decorated with the principles of Feng Shui in mind begin with a clear intention of the owner. Bedrooms are generally for sleeping and intimacy. Romance and partnership are a big part of this as well. So, what is the goal? Is finding a partner on the list of priorities? Is more romance important? Decorating a bedroom with Feng Shui eyes can help either goal.
The first thing to do is to take an objective look at the bedroom. How does the room feel? Is there equality in all things in the bedroom? There should be two of everything in the bedroom as this promotes a pair. This includes hearts, candles, photos, statuary, end tables etc. There should be two pillows on the bed, and if the bedroom furniture is only for a single bed, place at least a double bed in the room. All artwork should include couples, and not a lone figure of a woman or man. The bed sheets should be clean as if a visitor is expected. Is the bedroom decorated with just your taste in mind? Having lace and flowers everywhere does make a man happy and does not call in the energy of a man. My bedroom is decorated in plaids, solid colors of greens and blues, and a lovely leaf print. I’m satisfied with the way the bedroom is decorated and so is my husband. Don’t forget about what is or isn’t underneath the bed. Energy must flow around the bed so remove all the stuff underneath. Keep all work related material, computers and exercise equipment out of the bedroom. Work and working out should be kept in the office and in the home gym and not in the bedroom. In general, the colors of the bedroom could be pink, red or shades of pink as this is the color of the relationship area of the bagua. This may not be the greatest for the guys, but darker maroons and mauves may be appropriate. Incorporate round or oval shapes in to the bedroom. Sharp angles do not promote harmony.
Sleep is the next important thing in a bedroom, so be careful what is placed around the head of the bed. Lots of books on a bed headboard bookshelf can confuse and clutter the mind at night. Televisions should be out of the bedroom or at least covered for sleep. The big eye staring at you does not promote a good night sleep. It is a good idea to include wooden beds in the bedroom as metal can conduct electricity. A bedroom with Feng Shui principles includes lighting that isn’t too dim or too bright. Avoid large mirrors in the bedroom as this could startle people in the middle of the night. Place the bed headboard against a solid wall and not in front of windows for more support. Face the bed so anyone entering the bedroom can easily be seen. Decorate the bedroom of your home to reflect the style of the people that occupy it. A healthy relationship can grow everyday and Feng Shui can assist in that growth.
Love is a space in which all other emotions can be experienced.
Robert Prinable
Feng Shui for the Bathroom - For Health and Wealth
Feng Shui for Bathrooms – Keep them Functioning Properly
When it comes to bathrooms, we do not give them much thought as to how they are decorated. As long as the bathroom is functional, that’s enough. This may not be the first room we think about, but giving the bathroom some attention with the principles of Feng Shui is very important. Bathrooms are a necessary space and have a big influence on the rest of the home and the people that live in that home. In Feng Shui, bathrooms have a relationship to cleansing and the element of water and wealth. When a bathroom is in disrepair, leaking or plugged, this could lead to other problems of health and lack of money. Good Feng Shui for the bathroom means clean, working and healthy.
Good Feng Shui in a bathroom would include ideas such as keep the bathroom door closed to the rest of the house. Keep the toilet lid down blocking the drain. Cover the sinks and bathroom drains when not in use. Place a bamboo on the bathroom counter and have it reflected back by a mirror. Place a screen between the toilet and the rest of the bathroom. Decorate the bathroom to feel inviting with good quality towels to show wealth and abundance. Gold towels may be a good choice as this is the color of health and wealth. Keep the clutter down in the bathroom and make sure there are no kitchen appliances in the bathroom. Open the bathroom window for good circulation of energy. Smoke some white sage in the bathroom to remove blocked energy. Place fresh flowers or plants in the bathroom anytime for uplifting energy. Using earthy objects such as a terra cotta soap dish, in the bathroom is a good technique for balancing the water energy. Warm colors in a bathroom décor help to balance dark, damp yin energies. Keep the bathroom in good working order and a necessary bathroom can be a supportive room.
We shape our dwellings and our dwellings shape us.
- Winston Churchill
vFeng Shui Gardens
A Feng Shui Garden
A garden is an outdoor space that should be inviting and a place to relax. Arranging and decorating the garden is key to creating the oasis you dream of and not an unruly jungle. The same principles of Feng Shui work in gardens as well as inside the home. Energy moves throughout the garden and having healthy happy plants is part of the flow of energy. Feng Shui gardens begin at the entrance, just like the home. Find the garden’s opening and place something of importance there like a gate, pergola or arbor. Colors have a strong impact on the flow of energy too. Hot colors like red and yellow will lift energy in the garden. Cooler garden colors like white and purple are soothing. A Feng Shui garden encompasses balance and harmony in plantings and flowers. There needs to be enough space in the garden and room to grow. If everything is too tight, plants are unhealthy and the jungle begins. For the Chinese, plants in the garden are the source of feelings and hopes; therefore, everyone feels drawn to different plants in different ways. Some of the meanings of garden plants are:
- Woody plants – create movement
- Fire plants – provide a humorous atmosphere and beauty in the garden
- Earthy plants – bring peace and a stability to the garden
- Metal plants – provide a resilience to the garden elements and strength
- Water plants – strong and serious in nature
Accessorize the garden with Feng Shui tools. Fountains, birdbaths, wind chimes, flags, banners and more are just a few of the items when placed in a garden bring life and energy. Stay away from garden furniture that is ornately designed. Natural materials that coordinate with an outdoor setting are best. A focal point is lovely in a garden such as statuary or gazing ball. Gardens can be reflective and a place for meditation and commune with nature. Too much noise in a garden is distracting. A path up to the garden should leave the person on a meandering journey. Curves and nooks should be built into the garden for an interesting walk and a place to sit down and relax. When decorating the garden, bring in Feng Shui elements from earth, fire, water, metal and wood. The following are some examples:
- Wood symbolizes a new beginning and natural air purifiers - arbors, benches, planters, garden furniture
- Water symbolizes life on the planet, we cannot live without water - bird bath, fountains, geysers
- Metal encourages creative ideas and brings about change - wind chimes, whirligigs
- Fire is hot gives a spark to projects - grills, outdoor lighting, citronella candles
- Earth represents the mountains and soil of the garden - clay pots, terracotta, stone, boulders
The principles of Feng Shui can be used in any garden, large or small, rooftop or acreage. It is important that the changes you make through Feng Shui bring an element of calm, balance and harmony. Create an outdoor garden or small terrace garden that is a place to call home and relax.
Don’t try to force anything. Let life be a deep let-go. See God opening millions of flowers everyday without forcing the buds.
- Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Feng Shui Furniture - Round Edges and Good Quality
The Best Feng Shui Furniture – Placement is Key
Feng Shui furniture placement is a key element when trying to influence the flow of energy in a home. The best Feng Shui furniture placement does not block or distort the flow of Chi. Do not cram furniture or accessories into a tight space. Energy needs to move freely underneath furniture as well. Furniture too low to the ground blocks the flow. The furniture in a living room should be positioned to face the front door. If it isn’t possible to place the furniture this way, hang mirrors on the wall so the front door can be viewed. People feel less vulnerable when the furniture is facing whoever can enter the room. Furniture placement should be at least three feet separating pieces of furniture from each other. Hang artwork at eye level and consider the Feng Shui bagua when placing accessories around the furniture. The furniture placement should convey a sense of a cozy atmosphere, comfort and good conversation. Empty space is necessary for a good flow of energy.
In Feng Shui, a living room is the heart of a family, so place the furniture to kick back and relax. The room should be clutter free and not overly done in furniture. Furniture should be soft, with rounded edges. High backs on pieces of furniture symbolize support families give each other. Place televisions in pieces of furniture to hide the overwhelming electric fields given out. Place plants around pieces of furniture to attract healthy chi. In long narrow rooms, use rounded or hexagonal patterns, knobs, and handles on doors. Place heavy furniture in corner, but not too close to the wall. Do not place furniture so that it faces a blank wall. This block does not feel good and will leave a person feeling vulnerable.
The dining room table can be considered an altar in Feng Shui. Formal dining rooms aren’t used much anymore, but the table is an important piece of furniture. Keep the furniture in the dining room free of mail, clothing, and other “junk” that collects everyday. Use this lovely piece of furniture on an everyday basis. Feng Shui, when the furniture is used to eat, it is a blessing to financial life as well. When the furniture is allowed to catch dust, your finances can do the same. Dining room tables and furniture should be round or oval. The furniture should be in proportion to the room. Furniture that wobbles is of poor quality and people will feel unbalanced when eating or sitting on it. Buy an even number of chairs around the table and furniture to keep the energy in balance. Purchase the best quality of wood possible for the furniture as this shows a sense of abundance and wealth.
Furniture does not make or break good energy flow, but follow a few Feng Shui principles for placing the furniture in the home and your family will feel better in it.
Furniture gleaming with the patina of time itself in the room we would share; the rarest flowers, mingling aromas with amber’s uncertain redolence; encrusted ceilings echoed in the mirrors and Eastern splendor on the walls - here all would whisper to the soul in secret…
