Design with Feng Shui

When it comes to design most people think about spending a lot of money to make their new home look like something out of a magazine, but when you design with Feng Shui the emphasis is really on keep it simple and clean.      

There is a lot to Feng Shui and really it is best to buy a few good books or have a Feng Shui consultant visit your home to discuss your new house plans with you. The placing of any item large or small can affect the well-being of the whole family. www.fengshuiweb.co.uk

We are not Feng Shui consultant so the information that we are going to give is what we have acquired from reading books and surfing the net, but we have found it very useful and hope that it will be of some use to you.

Front Door     

The entrance to you house is very important as this is one of the main points that chi flows into you home. The front door should be in proportion to the house, If it is too large then too much chi will escape every time the door is opened. You can counter this by hanging wind chimes outside the door to reflect the chi back in.

Try to make sure that the front door does not directly face the driveway or path as this funnels chi too quickly to and from your home. Ideally the drive or path should meander to the door to slow down the energy. If the path is already there you can soften it by placing a bird bath on it and putting plants around the area to slow the energy down.

Always keep the outside of you house clean and tidy. Outside your main door place either small trees or potted plants to slow down the chi before it comes into you home.

It is not good to put a mirror behind the door as it can reflect the chi out but it is good to put mirrors either side of the door as it invites in good chi.

By placing a ceramic frog with a coin in its mouth inside your front door you are encouraging money to come into your home.    

You should try to make sure that your front door is not in direct alignment to your back door as the chi will flow straight through. If this is already the case, place a large plant or decorative screen in an appropriate place between the two.

Stairs

As chi flow freely up and down stairs it is not good to have your stairs positioned near the front door or every time you open the door the chi will flow straight out

Stairs with bends will help the chi flow smoothly but if it bends too sharp the chi will be blocked and a mirror will be needed to be placed to allow the chi to flow smoothly once more.

A dark entry way or landing can be improved with lights, mirrors, crystals or wind chimes. A ceiling fan can also move the stagnant chi in this area.

Kitchen

Make sure your kitchen units are always clear of clutter. Keep the sink empty . Clean out your cupboards and fridge on a regular basis, this cleans way all of the stagnant chi.

Always have fresh fruit displayed in a large clean bowl or basket but throw away any that show signs of decay.

Don’t put onions or garlic where they can be seen as these are considered to be in a state of subtle decay.

Avoid placing your fridge in the east or south east as these are wood area’s and your fridge is made of metal. In Feng Shui metal is said to destroy wood.

Some people like to have their cooker near their sink for convenience but it is not good to put fire and water near to each other, so put the cooker as far way from the sink as possible. If you can not separate them then put an auspicious plant like a lucky bamboo between them to balance the elements.

Dining Room

When designing your new home do not locate the dinning room in sight of the front door.

Always make sure there is enough room to walk around the table and the doors do not open too close to the chairs.

Well placed mirrors will draw light in and make the room feel lighter.

Always clear the table when the meal is finished and keep the table clear of clutter.

Living Room

In this room the seating layout is very important. The furniture should be arranged in a circle or octagon and when a guest comes into your living room you should seat them facing the door.

Try to avoid any corners or alcoves as these are dead areas for chi. Counter the dead areas by placing a potted plant with round leaves.

Keep the living room tidy and uncluttered and if you must have a television enclose it in a cabinet when not in use. If you do not have your television in a cabinet then place a round leaf plant to the side of the screen to break down the energy that is produced by it.

The room should feel warm and cosy, with colours chosen to help the flow of chi and pictures and water ornaments placed to evoke a calm feeling.

Bathroom

The bathroom door should be kept closed as much as possible.

If you leave the toilet seat up you are allowing the good chi to drain away, so always keep the lid closed.

You should leave your bath room window open as much as possible to allow the chi to flow around the room and to stop the chi from getting stagnant.

The best place to put the mirror in this room is behind the door .

If you do not have a window in this room you should think about a ceiling fan to move the chi and you should hang a mirror behind the toilet.

Bedroom

In Feng shui the bed rooms need to be arranged for the people who are sleeping in them. You should arrange the room to your own personal elements which you can find in most good Feng Shui books

•                     Earth: south, west
•                    Water: north
•                    Fire:  south or south west.
•                    Wood: east or north east
•                    Metal: west or north west

It is important during decoration of the bed room to keep red to the minimum as too much is yang and can disturb sound sleep. Use warm off whites, peach and terra cotta.

Keep the bed room clutter free and get used to hanging up clothes as soon as they are finished with.

Only put essential furniture in this room so that the chi can flow freely.

If you have an en-suite keep the door closed all of the time and if you can place a plant or decorative screen between your bed and the door to the en-suite.

You need good chi to flow around this room, a simple way to help achieve this is to open your window for five minutes a day. If you must have nets up against the window then do drop them down while the window is open or they will slow down the chi coming into the room.

Placement of your bed is very important for a good nights sleep. Never put the head of the bed under a slopping ceiling as the slop moves the chi too fast and right into you as you sleep and can cause imbalance in your general health as well as insomnia, and depression.

Beams, book cases, cupboards, or shelves over the bed can cause insomnia and headaches. If you really can not avoid these areas then use crystals and small wind chimes to help counteract the effects.

It is not good to have electrical equipment such as televisions in your bed room as the energy produced by them is thought to destroy good chi so is considered to be unhealthy. So if it is not in use cover them with a cloth.

When placing mirrors in this room never place it over, opposite or at the side of your bed as they effect the way that chi moves and make it much too powerful for a restful sleep.

Always choose natural material for you bedding.

Children’s bedrooms follow the same principles as an adults but there are a few other things that you should be aware of and they might help to keep harmony in your house.

As chi energy is very fast and unstable around the windows do not place your child’s bed directly under it as it can cause restless sleep and worse of all behaviour problems.

If you have a study area in your child’s room try not to place them with their back to the entrance door, If you have no choice then put a mirror in front of the desk so that they can see behind them.

Try to put bright images on your child’s wall as this will encourage positive thinking.

Provide plenty of storage space for your child and encourage them to use it and keep the room clutter free.

Colours for a children room depends on your child’s needs. An overactive child responds best to soft pastel shades of beige and blue, green shades calm as do off whites. A child that is timid needs splashes of colour and happy designs in greens, orange, yellow and red. A small mural depicting flowers, fields and sunshine would be ideal.

An infants room needs to be soothing. Pastel colours are best as big designs or bright colours can over stimulate the baby and make them very fussy or bad sleepers.

In your baby’s room do not place any mirrors or pictures with glass fronts as the chi from them is too harsh for a baby.

Most parents want to put mobiles over the baby’s bed, it is best to keep it simple and in pastel colours. A few crystals at different heights would be ideal.