Feng Shui: Front Door
This week I am starting a series on Feng Shui, focusing on different rooms and areas of the home. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of balancing our physical environment to promote harmony and a sense of well-being in our surroundings. How we arrange objects in our home creates a certain energy, either positive or negative, and makes us feel welcome. Learning more about this will hopefully give us the tools to provide better energy at home. Amidst this COVID pandemic, many of us are home re-arranging furniture and there is no better time than now to learn about this ancient art!
I am going to start with the front door, where the Feng Shui at your home truly begins. This is the first area people see when they come into your home (It is called the Qi-or the mouth of the home). This is that first impression that you can't get back. If you don't feel good here, then it's likely that others won't either.
GOOD FENG SHUI GUIDELINES:
1. The door opens inward to the home, not outward. And is tall enough for all guests to walk through
2. The door is substantial and secure (not loose, no rust, and properly working hinges) and should be the grandest door in the home
3. The door is clean and free of dust or pollen
4. A clean, bright light fixture over your door (no cob webs or broken bulbs!)
5. A visible house number so no confusion is created
6. Everything about your entryway is in working order including the doorbell
7. The door opens up easily into an entryway that is free of clutter. This means a clear pathway leading up to the door and once you enter the home
8. Any mirrors in the entryway are placed to the sides and not straight ahead when you walk in. If a mirror is placed in front of you, it bounces the energy (The "Chi") back out of the home.
9. A front door that opens into the living room
FRONT DOOR COLOR GUIDELINES:
South facing home- Yellow, Purple, Orange, Pink, Coral, Red. Secondary: green, brown, wood
North facing home- Dark blue or Black. Secondary: White, Gray or Metallic
East & Southeast facing home- Natural Wood Color or Earth tones. Secondary: Blue or Black
West & Northwest facing home- Ochre or Yellow, White, Gray, Metallic. Secondary: Beige, Clay, Sandy tones
Southwest & Northeast facing home- White, Beige, Light Yellow, Clay or Sandy tones. Secondary: Red, Yellow, Pink, Coral
EXTRA "Bonus Points" Feng Shui Tips:
1. Have a water feature near your front door to attract prosperity and luck. This feature can be outside or inside.
2. Plants on either side of the front door
3. Presence of Fu Dogs
Here are some things you may want to AVOID;
1. Sharp objects near the entryway, such as plants with thorns. It is said to disrupt the first impression
2. A front door that opens with a direct path to a back door or window. This brings the Chi into your home and right back out. Separate these areas with a piece of furniture if possible.
3. A staircase directly aligned with the front door. I realize many center hall colonials have this, and you can mask it by drawing your attention elsewhere with bold furniture or flowers.
So, how did you do with your current Front Door Feng Shui? While this Chinese method provides incredible guidelines to living in harmony with your surroundings at home, my biggest clue to good Feng Shui is; does this space make you happy? If you don't feel at ease walking through your front door then others won't either. Make it a priority to declutter this space so you enter the home feeling refreshed, calm, and at peace.
There will be more to come this week on Feng Shui and different areas of the home. And as always, leave any thoughts below in the comments or on my social media platforms (Facebook or Instagram). Thank you for reading! -Chrissie
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