The Importance of “Feng Shui” in Designing a Floor Plan

 

I have studied and incorporated feng shui principles into my design practice for many decades now. Feng shui is a Chinese philosophical system that is intended to harmonize us with our environment. Some of the feng shui principles are common sense, others work at another level: the subconscious. You may have noticed that you feel comfortable in one space and not in another and yet are unable to figure out why that is. Many basic feng shui tenets are based on the “subconscious” or normally invisible forces that hint at why a space may not feel right.

In designing a project, I incorporate feng shui principles as best I can as it usually helps to create a strong and balanced space. There are some personal design preferences that I incorporate into a project as well for flow factor and for the ease of cleaning. Below are many feng shui principles, passive solar design ideas, and some of my own.

• Align the house so that the maximum window glazing is on the north and south of the home such that there is minimal (direct) sunlight from the east and west. Western exposure can be especially harsh and create too much heat in the home in the evening – though today’s low e windows tend to ameliorate this.
• Avoid putting the lowest riser to an upper floor stairway visible from the front door as this is said to cause an energy of “busy-ness” to become prominent in one’s life.
• Avoid aligning the front door and back door of a home as the “chi” or energy of a home will escape easily without having a chance to fill one’s home with beneficial energy.
• The door jambs are ideally lined up in a home. This is said to create less conflict between the occupants of the home.
• Both a beam over an eating area or bed and a door opening that is aligned with any portion of a bed or desk – these would be considered problematic in feng shui.
• Ideally, when you are lying down in a bed or sitting at a desk, you will be able to see all entrances to the room. It is much like sitting with your back to a door at a restaurant. If you are sensitive like me, this will inevitably make you feel uncomfortable.
• Ideally, there are more windows than doors in a space. Too many doors can cause confusion in a home without a clear sense of orientation from being able to view the outdoors.
• I tend to avoid putting in long, narrow hallways in homes as this tends to be costly and not a very efficient use of space. However, in large homes with many bedrooms, this is often unavoidable.
• I prefer the placement of the kitchen sink to be toward the interior of a room, on an island. This way, the dish washer can more easily engage with company or a media center. A kitchen sink installed in front of a window is a secondary option.
• My preference is for the least amount of corners and niches in a home as it is easier to clean a home. Getting the dirt out of too many unnecessary corners in a home can be tedious. That said, a few niches in a home can keep it feeling cozy and dynamic in some cases.
• Other factors to consider when designing a home is that one may not want to visually see the kitchen sink and dirty dishes upon entering a home. Moreover, a bathroom off of a kitchen is considered unlucky and may indicate one having to “waste”  too much money on groceries.
• I am familiar with the “relationship”, “wealth”, etc. areas of a home in feng shui. These are important to keep in mind when developing a floor plan. For instance, I attempt to avoid putting a laundry room or a bathroom in a relationship corner of the home; otherwise, one may find oneself always having to work on one’s relationship. Alternately, a bathroom or laundry room on the western (also the water side) of the home is not considered beneficial and one may find plumbing issues occurring. Though some of these ideas might be considered superstitious, I have practical, real-world experience with many of them.
• The location of a pool or other body of water directly behind one’s home is considered maleficent. A hill behind one’s home is considered auspicious. Ideally, a home is located neither down in a canyon (it may flood) nor up on a mountainside (it is too windy).
• The shape of the home is critical as well. If there is a “corner” of the home that missing, this area of the occupants’ lives may be lacking “helpful people”, “knowledge”, etc. Not to worry though, there are often simple feng shui cures for these design issues.

 

My hope is that this gave you some basic design principles to consider when designing or remodeling your home. I have found that incorporating these ideas into your design can significantly increase the flow and harmony of your home.