Kitchen Design & Feng Shui: Are you pumping up your wealth, or burning it up?

In Feng Shui, the kitchen represents nourishment and prosperity. How you design and decorate the kitchen can dramatically influence your health, and, surprisingly, your wealth.

The first thing to bear in mind when considering any Feng Shui advice is that ultimately, Feng Shui is a complex practice with several different schools, and the recommendations will vary from school to school and from one practitioner to another. So too, advice will differ depending upon the unique home - and the unique people living in it. Despite the fact that different schools may have diverse views on some topics, there are basic Feng Shui principles that apply to all kitchens.

First things first....

The first thing to bear in mind when considering any Feng Shui advice is that ultimately, Feng Shui is a complex practice with several different schools, and the recommendations will vary from school to school and from one practitioner to another. So too, advice will differ depending upon the unique home - and the unique people living in it. Despite the fact that different schools may have diverse views on some topics, there are basic Feng Shui principles that apply to all kitchens. At Feng Shui Style, we use the Compass School and Form School, the two oldest forms of Feng Shui.

Kitchen Placement within the Home

 

The first thing to consider when looking at the kitchen is its placement in terms of the whole house. We can't always decide where each room in a house or apartment will be in relation to the others, but if you're working with new construction or doing extensive renovations, ideally the kitchen will be in the back of the house, at least behind centerline of house.

In any case, it's better if you don't see the kitchen immediately upon entering the house, as this can cause digestive, nutritional, and eating problems. Having the kitchen at the entry point can also mean that guests will come over and eat and then leave immediately, and such a placement can also encourage the inhabitants to be obsessed with cooking and eating (of course some people don't find this to be a problem).

If your kitchen is in the front of the house, don't panic; there are always remedies. Try to hide the kitchen from the entrance - or at least "screen" it. You could hang sheer or beaded curtains over the kitchen door, or install louvered doors. Another idea is to provide something delightfully eye-catching across a hall or in a vestibule near the kitchen. That way, attention is diverted from the kitchen upon entering.

Kitchen Layout

It is very important for the cook to be in a "commanding position" while cooking at the stove. The cook should be able to clearly see the doorway without turning around. Renovating a kitchen so this is achieved can be particularly challenging. Many modern kitchens have the range facing the wall.Many Feng Shui consultants recommend hanging something reflective, such as a mirror or a shiny sheet of decorative aluminum, over the "backsplash" area of the stove. The reflective surface can be any size, but the bigger it is, the more powerful the correction will be. In China, the number of burners on the stove represent the families' wealth. By adding a reflective item like a mirror behind the burners, you are effectively "doubling your wealth".

Kitchen Islands

For a dramatic solution to the "back to the audience" dilemma, consider installing a cooking island. Placing the stove in a central island allows the cook to see the entire room, including the doorway. Beyond the Feng Shui benefits, a cooking island is practical. The wider your view, the more you'll be able to comfortably talk with dinner guests or keep an eye on the kids as you prepare the meal.

A Stylish, Compact Kitchen Island

This island has all the necessities, yet it exudes sophistication with a soapstone top, and rich wood with Craftsman detailing. What a gorgeous solution to a Feng Shui problem! Instead of isolating the cook, families and guests often gather in the kitchen and participate in the meal preparation. Also, busy working couples use dinner preparation as an important time to unwind together.

The 5 Elements

and the Kitchen Triangle

A good kitchen design is based on a traditional triangle model, with the sink, refrigerator and range making up each point of the triangle. There should be a 6-8 foot distance between each appliance; this allows for maximum convenience and a minimum of repeated moves. Because you'll have that space between each of the major appliances, it should be easy to adhere to the Feng Shui principle of having fire elements separated from water elements. A good way of separating fire and water is to add something made of wood in between, such as a plant or a painting of a plant.


The Kitchen Stove

The stove represents health and wealth, so you want to use the burners on the stove top equally, rotating their use rather than habitually using a particular one. This correlates with getting money from multiple sources.

A regular stove, as opposed to a microwave, is preferred because it is more in keeping with the Feng Shui belief that we should slow down, become more conscious of each activity, and do activities with intention. Heating a quick meal in the microwave is certainly convenient, but doing this may not lead to the most serene state of mind.

Many Feng Shui consultants (including myself) are concerned with excess radiation and electromagnetic fields and advise against a microwave altogether. A steamer and a toaster oven can achieve everything that a microwave can, with better quality. Obviously, each home and family will have to find their own balance between modern conveniences and optimal Feng Shui practices.

In summation

The kitchen should be kept neat and uncluttered, and any broken appliances should be thrown out. It is better to have no toaster than one that doesn't work. In Feng Shui, windows should not be placed over stove because heat represents prosperity, and you don't want your prosperity flowing out the window.

Luckily, Feng Shui isn't only about having a room with good ch'i, or energy; it's also simply a practical guide for design. For this reason, Feng Shui can be used with any style of room. Some of the most popular trends include:* a contemporary look, with solid colors, wood and granite, stone or marble* a luxurious look, with carvings, corbels, and cabinets with legs* a Craftsman or other simple style.

Any of these styles can be successfully combined with the principles of Feng Shui to make for a kitchen that's functional, up-to-date, and easy on the eyes.

In Layman’s Terms...

Simply put, proper Feng Shui will make you feel fabulous in your home or office. It’s largely common sense. For example, it just feels better to have your back to a wall and see the door in your office. To have your back to the door, you tend to feel anxious that someone will sneak up on you. This makes you less productive. This is also why in a restaurant, men prefer to take the seat against the wall, looking out, with a view of the widest expanse of the room. They instinctually feel more able to protect their partners in this position. They are also safe from attack, which undoubtedly hearkens back to hunting and gathering days. Feng Shui intuition runs very deep, and we all feel it. Knowing how to manipulate it is another matter. Feng Shui is about taking care of a myriad of rules and details like this, in your home or office, which all add up. The overall effect can be improved dramatically by using these rules to adjust your furniture, objects, colors and materials. Once you learn about Feng Shui, you will never see the world the same way again.

There are many facets to Feng Shui, and it takes many years to become a certified Feng Shui consultant. For example:

• Topography
• Structure
• Placement of objects
• Yin & Yang
• The Occupants
• The 5 Elements
• The Bagua
• Full blown interior design based on Feng Shui assessment

For more details on the above, see:

Feng Shui Overview

There are also what I call “mundane solutions”. In other words, if you wanted to be wealthier, a mundane solution might be to read up on the stock market, save a certain amount of money every month, or look for a new job. A Feng Shui solution might be to add a large purple flowering plant to your wealth corner. That way, when you entered your house, you would see the purple plant and it would be like a visual reminder that you were attracting wealth.

Combining Feng Shui with ‘mundane solutions’ produces the best results. For instance, you wouldn’t “pump up” your relationship corner, and then sit home every night. How would you ever meet anyone? Feeling great in your home has a profound affect on how you feel in general, when you’re out in the world, and consequently explains why people have such marvelous results after doing a consultation. You give off very attractive “vibes” when your house has proper Feng Shui.

Finally, there is luck (heavenly and earthly), and fate. Some combination of all of this will determine how your life unfolds. There is no such thing as “perfect” Feng Shui, so it is not something to obsess over. You may implement changes quickly, or slowly, and watch what happens. It is a fascinating blend of art and science, and many people become enraptured with it as they embark on the journey.