By Kathryn Weber
The kitchen has a special place in feng shui. The stove, in particular, has an especially important place in the home and the kitchen. That’s because this is the appliance that generates the meals that feed the residents of that home.
On its own, though, the kitchen is thought to press down luck in feng shui. That means, even if you have good luck in this room, or bad, the kitchen by its very nature will stifle the luck in this area.
That being said, if the kitchen is located in a good direction for you based on your pa kua number, then the food prepared and consumed here will be especially beneficial. If, based on your pa kua number, this is an unlucky area, the bad luck will be pressed down, therefore, making this a good location for a kitchen.
Here are some more kitchen feng shui basics:
- Avoid locating a bedroom over a kitchen. If this isn’t possible, then make extra sure that the bed does not share the same wall as the stove. Likewise, try not to put a bedroom, or bed, on the other side of the wall where your stove is placed.
- Kitchens should ideally be placed near the back of the house and not in the middle. Placement at the front of the house is also not advisable.
- Don’t paint kitchens red. Kitchens have fire in them already; don’t increase the “fire energy” by painting the kitchen red.
- Kitchens in harmful positions: If your kitchen is located in the NW, SW, or center of your house: Purchase a five-rod wind chime here to dispel some of the energy. I must be honest that the worst possible location for a kitchen is the NW, particularly if you cook with gas. Remove all candles from this location and try to install an electric stove here. Alternatively, you can add a large urn of water, such as a fish tank, to dampen some of the excess fire energy.
- There are few absolutes in feng shui, but this is one, and that is: no open flames in the NW sector of the home or there could be severe losses or problems for the man of the house or the breadwinner. Or, if you’re single, there could be difficulties attracting a suitable relationship or frequent spats and disagreements with someone you are dating. The only cure I’m aware of for this is to place a large urn of water (18 X 24 inches) in the kitchen. However, this is rather cumbersome and large vessel of water to have sitting on a cabinet or floor of your kitchen. You might try placing a spring water dispenser here or a fish tank to try and help press down the fire energy located here. Try to place it close as possible to the stove.
8 Key Feng Shui Kitchen Questions
1. Is there at least two feet of distance between the stove and refrigerator? If they are too close together, the refrigerator puts out the fire of the stove, creating financial difficulties. If they are next to each other, put a large wooden cutting board between them.
2. Can you see the toilets from the kitchen? Even a view or access to a toilet from the kitchen is bad news. If this is the case in your house, paint the bathroom door red, and as always, be sure to keep it closed at all times.
3. Placement of tears? A stove placed between a refrigerator and a sink is said to cause sadness and emotions such as those from mourning.
4. Do you have an islands of respite? Islands serve as a helpful feng shui feature because they are often topped with stone (which weighs down bad luck) and are situated between things, such as the stove and sink, or the stove and the refrigerator, thereby stopping “arguments” between kitchen features. Count yourself lucky if you have one. The same is true of dining tables in the kitchen.
5. Is your refrigerator stocked? A well-stocked pantry and refrigerator are both good feng shui — and symbols of wealth. Keep both cleaned out on a regular basis. Make sure nothing is stored on the floor of the pantry. This keeps energy renewed and wealth flowing.
6. Do you support your stove? If the stove is below a window, the cook will not enjoy good support.
7. Can the stove/kitchen be seen from the front door? If you can see the stove or the kitchen from your front door, then you could be losing opportunities. Block the view of the view from the front door with a screen or a plant.
8. Do you enter through the kitchen? If so, you could struggle with your weight. If the first thing you see is your kitchen, you might have difficulties with overeating. Try to enter through another door.
© Kathryn Weber, All rights reserved
