MAIN ENTRANCE

Just as in love, first impressions are important. That means your home's main entrance -- the one you use most often, whether it's the front door or the door from the garage -- is the most crucial area in which to practice good Feng Shui. The door should be wide enough to admit positive chi, with nothing in front, such as a shrub or statuette. It shouldn't face a window, or your home's chi will fly away as soon as you enter (draperies can take care of that little problem). The door should be sturdy and in good condition; a door that sticks means that you, too, will feel as frustrated as the energy that's entering your home under precarious conditions. The first thing you see upon entering should not be a blank wall; that will slow down, if not stop altogether, the energy flow, and people will feel stuck, as if they are always running into a brick wall. Place a mirror on the wall, or a picture of a landscape or waterfall. The picture breathes life into the space and prevents blockage.

KITCHEN

The kitchen is often the center of family life, where food is prepared and eaten. It's fraught with chances for bad Feng Shui, but most are easily cured. Your stove, which is symbolic of good fortune since the food that sustains us is prepared there, should be positioned so that when you're cooking you can see who is entering the room. If it's not, place a mirror above it. The mirror does double duty, as it symbolically doubles the number of burners, which will increase health and prosperity. Your sink and refrigerator shouldn't be next to the stove either, as that poses a conflict between fire and water, which can wreak all sorts of havoc. Speaking of the refrigerator, position it so it's not the first thing you see when walking into the kitchen. You will be drawn to it, eat more, gain weight, become obsessive, and then, probably, miserable.

BEDROOM

We spend so much time in the bedroom -- often naked and vulnerable -- and we especially want things to go well here. Place the bed against a solid wall, not a window, so that when you are in it you feel safe and secure. The bed should never be directly in front of the door, with your feet facing out, because that's how the dead are carried out. A bed with rounded edges can encourage the flow of positive chi around it, while a squared-off bed will do the opposite. Pushing twin beds up against each other isn't such a good idea either, as it will bring division and strife into your relationship. Try not to place a mirror in front of your bed, as the Chinese believe your soul leaves your body as you sleep and might be shocked -- shocked -- by its own image. For obvious reasons, don't have a headboard that resembles a tombstone.

AROUND THE HOUSE

A round dining room tables symbolize heavenly blessings, and should have an even number of chairs around them (even numbers being a sign of good luck). And never have only one chair, as that's a clear-cut symbol of loneliness. In fact, if you're single and you want to stimulate the energy of relationships and marriage, place pairs of objects in your house -- two candlesticks or two photos, for example. Stairways that face the front door imply that energy is flowing right out the door every time you enter. Surround yourself with beautiful pictures depicting nature or the open seas or birds in flight, all of which will encourage good Feng Shui. "Abstract art without a focus", writes Spear, "will create an environment in which the occupants may find it difficult to complete things."

FURNITURE PLACEMENT WITH FENG SHUI
by Patricia Santhuff

Feng Shui is often described as the Chinese art of placement, but are there rules for furniture placement? Yes, good taste, comfort and convenience are always essential factors. It’s also important to never allow anything to block external or internal doorways -- this symbolizes blocked opportunities. Keep traffic lanes unblocked, too, to prevent a difficult or obstructed “passage” through life.

One rule that seems to make sense to most everyone -- because it’s such an innate human impulse -- is to position one's favorite chair in the "command position" of a room. This is the point farthest away from and facing the door to the room. You’ll often see people vie for this chair at meetings. And usually the head of the household intuitively selects this spot for his or her preferred seating in family, living, or dining rooms.

People who move their desks so their chair is in the command position of their office – at home or at work – often report immediate improvements in their careers; from increased phone calls from customers to increased respect from peers, to favorable attention from management. Don’t, however, position your chair so that your back is to a window. That defeats the purpose entirely because it leaves your back unprotected.

Your bed should also be in the command position. The very worst position for your bed is directly in front of the door with your feet facing the door. It’s called the “coffin position” because the dead are usually removed feet first -- it is quite naturally considered very inauspicious. It’s also bad Feng Shui to have the head of the bed against a window -- one’s personal chi (energy) can seep out.

In the kitchen, the stove should be positioned so that whoever is cooking does not have his or her back to the door to the kitchen. Since stoves are a little harder to reposition than other furniture, the Feng Shui cure for this stove position is to place a mirror behind the stove. This not only provides the cook with a view of whoever enters the kitchen, it also has the happy effect of symbolically doubling the number of burners, which represent prosperity in Feng Shui.

The stove should not be positioned immediately next to the refrigerator or sink. Both the refrigerator and sink are Water element appliances, and the stove is a Fire element appliance. Water douses Fire, and this placement is considered inauspicious since the stove contributes so much to the family’s well-being.

Furniture can be used to redirect the flow of chi. If you have a large enough living room or family room to create conversation areas, that can help direct the flow of chi in harmonious patterns through your house instead of allowing it to rush straight through from the entry without adequately circulating to nourish the space. Screens or dividers can be used as well. The principle is that you don’t want an arrow-straight path from the door to another door or window.

Dining rooms can present special problems. They often feature two doors and a large window on a third wall. It’s very difficult for anyone to feel comfortable in such a room -- so they are often under-used -- since most seats are unprotected. Be kind to your guests next time you entertain and give them seats with a solid wall to their backs.

Someone once noted that whenever she and her guests moved from the small, comfortable and intimate family room area to the larger, more beautifully decorated living room, the previously animated conversation came to a halt. While a few small decorative items contributed to the problem, the major reason was that the living room and dining room formed an L-shape and the space was too open. All sense of intimacy and protection evaporated because everyone’s attention got scattered and drawn elsewhere. A small floor screen creating a division between the dining and living rooms provided more privacy and a heightened sense of comfort for both rooms.

Another consideration is to allow some open spaces in your rooms, rather than stuffing them with furniture. A favorite Chinese saying points out that a vase gets its utility from its open space, from the part of it that isn’t there. Leave a little breathing room, so the chi can circulate through all of each room. Positioning rectangular furniture at across corners helps prevent chi from gathering and stagnating in corners.

Other furniture placement criteria may be needed for specific or individual situations. Once you start getting a sense of what a good flow of chi through your environment feels like, you’ll be able to “study” your rooms -- especially those that don’t feel quite right -- and figure out better furniture placement for better Feng Shui. Don’t be afraid to experiment. One thing is certain -- if you have a room you’re not using, you have bad Feng Shui in that room.
 
 
 

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