by Kathryn Weber
A beautiful, inviting entrance is the first point of entry for chi and opportunity in feng shui. When you have an entrance that’s appealing, it’s a statement to all who visit your home. It’s also an opportunity to create a warm and welcome feeling when you enter your house.
In feng shui, the door is the entryway to wealth, income and opportunity. Creating a beautiful foyer is a first step to maximizing that energy. Here are seven ways you can improve your foyer’s look – and invite plenty of opportunity, health, love and income chi.
First impressions count.
Just like in first grade where you’re taught neatness counts, this is true for your foyer. It’s your first impression of your home, so you want to make it be a good one. Start by creating an open, well-lit space. Avoid over crowding here with shoes, coats and mail. Keep it clear and clean and as open as possible.
Lift your sights.
Artwork offers a beautiful way to create symbolism at your entry. Finding artwork that is symbolic of your desires, such as a flock of birds flying, a picture of a vista or pretty scene can symbolize what you would like for your home. Symbols like birds or boats should appear to be flying in to the house. Flowers such as bulbs, orchids, or other nature scenes promote growth and hopefulness and blossoming opportunities.
Watch flooring directions.
It’s often customary in design circles to place flooring vertical from the door into the house, or perpendicular to the front of the house. The problem with this design is that it can make chi move to quickly and rush into – and out of – the house. This is especially true if the flooring direction is aimed at a focal point or a window or door opposite the door. If your floor has this “runway” effect, slow down chi by adding a patterned rug that will dissipate the fast rushing energy.
Add Lighting.
One of the best all-purpose feng shui enhancers is lighting. Good lighting lifts chi and adds beneficial energy. It’s one of the easiest ways to enhance your feng shui quickly and easily. Make your foyer lighting beautiful with a crystal fixture or chandelier, lamps and nice sconces if you have the space for them.
She’s a beauty.
In and of itself, beauty is something that lifts energy and is always good feng shui. Beauty lifts energy and creates its own kind of chi. Treat your foyer like a jewel box and add lovely moldings, pretty colors, wall treatments or wall paper – and don’t forget the ceiling. Adding a beautiful color to your ceiling is one way to slow down chi and make it meander more, and it raises your sights. Set out a lovely bouquet of flowers to bring a cheerful energy that invites good news.
Check views.
It’s important to make sure that you don’t see a toilet or a kitchen – or straight out to the back of your house – when you enter the front door. Sometimes adding a simple curtain, plant, or standing screen is all you need to help slow down the sight line to an inauspicious view.
If your door opens directly to a staircase, give some thought to trying a different door swing direction so you don’t view the stairs as soon as you walk in. You can also add a bright, crystal lighting fixture here to dissipate energy that rushes from the stairs and out the door.
Check your mirrors.
While mirrors are a great way to double beautiful views or symbolically add a missing sector, when mirrors are opposite a front door, this pushes energy away, and the money goes with it. Your house will become like a plant deprived of water, and opportunities will shrivel up. While many are devoted to having a mirror at their entrance, you could be missing out on an opportunity to add a beautiful, uplifting symbol here.
