How to harmonize the kitchen with Feng Shui?

I was talking with a client about a project I have been doing a house, when she asked me "... but are there ideal locations for kitchens and living rooms in Feng Shui?

I replied, "Yes there are, in your case we have the privilege of starting the project from scratch and try to place every room in their best locations."

Then I continued "Feng Shui gives us many possibilities to organize every room in your house in order to obtain a flow of energy that is conducive to it."

So we can distribute the various rooms the following way:

• North: TV room, bedroom
• Northeast: playroom and study room
• East: kitchen, studio, dining room, children room or playroom, bathroom
• Southeast: kitchen, studio, living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom
• South: hall, studio, living room
• Southwest: living room, entertaining area
• West: bedroom, living room, dining room
• Northwest: bedroom, dining room, studio

The kitchen is a very important room, it is essential that is functional and harmonious for us to feel good, because this is where the food is stored and prepared and we take our meals. Along with the living room, the kitchen is the place you should pay more attention.

The kitchen should be well lit, airy, clean and organized, to make us feel our best.

The kitchen countertops should have rounded corners and lateral sides in order to prevent cutting chi. Knives should be stored out of sight in a drawer.

Organization and free surfaces on the countertopsprovide the necessary freedom of movement, so important when preparing food.

We also know that the better the interaction between the stove, sink and refrigerator, the faster and easier certain tasks can be.

The kitchen combines two types of energy - fire and water - that are opposite elements, so it is important to carefully plan the placement of the stove and the sink. Ideally, the dishwasher, the fridge and the washing machine shouldn’t be near the stove, to avoid conflict of energies. The stove should be in a place where you do not turn your back at the door when cooking and that allows you to view the entire space.

The kitchen finishes – tiles or stones, are also a factor to consider when designing a new kitchen. Choose light and soft colors to create a pleasant environment. There are lots of materials options for coating your kitchen   and different types of appliances for all kitchen styles.

Tips:

In kitchens where the stove and sink are side by side, you should put a flowerpot between them to harmonize fire and water.

Avoid the tendency to store too many things in the kitchen: old bottles, accessories that you never use, too many plates and cups. If we rationally examine the contents of our cabinets, we'll probably led to dispose or arrange things better, which will give us more space and will allow chi to flow.

Put some fruit bowls on the table or countertop, as they offer a healthy flow of chi energy.

Whenever possible, garbage and recycling bin should always have lid and stay stored inside the cabinet under the sink.

Avoid: rotten fruit and vegetables, out of date packaging and bottles, unlabeled boxes in the freezer, cookware you never use, overfilled garbage bins and stuff "that one day may be useful."

Whenever possible the kitchen should be located east or southeast of the house. The Tree energy, dominant in those directions, harmonizes the fire (stove) and water (sink). The morning sun warms the kitchen and provides a good environment for breakfast.

The image above shows an example of a good kitchen:

Located east of the house it is organized, with good light with adequate ventilation.

The choice of materials was careful - the light green cabinets and wooden flooring - materials and colors related to the element tree which harmonizes fire and water from the kitchen. The stove in the island allows you to view the entire space while cooking and watch the windows and doors.

When we have a kitchen in any other less favorable location, and we cannot change it, we can fix and harmonize the kitchen with coatings, colors or accessories.

• in a kitchen facing north, we should add Tree energy – green or blue colors, coatings and decoration, and place some plants - to drain the excess water and harmonizing them with fire.
• in a kitchen facing northeast, we should add metal objects (stainless steel) to harmonize Earth and Water energy. Natural stone coverings and countertops are also a good option.
• in a kitchen facing south, you can use some plants to harmonize Water and Fire energy. It is also advisable to use porcelain pots and vases and ceramic coverings (earthy colors) to drain the excess of Fire (south).
• in a kitchen facing southwest, you can choose to decorate with metal objects to harmonize Earth and Water energy, and use white or gray stone or ceramic coatings.
• in a kitchen facing  west and northwest should choose earth elements energy for decoration - porcelain pots and objects in stainless and choose white, orange or yellow stone or ceramic coatings.

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