The flooring in this key area must be fluid and create an immediate sense of depth.  Your visitors will naturally feel drawn into your entrance hall.  The flooring in the foyer should never dramatically change color or pattern but have a continuous fluid appearance.

Next we look at flooring and room compatibility, which considers the size and shape of the room and ceiling height. Rooms with vaulted or high volume ceilings where the wall color is light can benefit from darker shades of flooring.   A darker flooring color anchors the energy in the room and will create an atmosphere of balance and stability.  Sometimes people will not gather for long periods of time in a room where the the space feels empty and hollow.  Architecturally, when this is the case the flooring choice can compensate for this.

Lighter shades of flooring with minimal design are the most suitable for smaller spaces or lower ceilings.

Split-levels or disjointed floor plans will benefit the most by using one color of flooring.  In feng shui, we correct problematic floor plans that may lack flow by carrying one or two design elements throughout the house to create continuity and flow.

Flooring choices have a tremendous impact on the feng shui of a home or business.  The flooring must never dominate the space but be compatible with the room. Using natural materials and color choices that represent nature is a trend that is growing.  People don’t grow tired of a natural palette and they like feeling more connected to the natural world.

Flooring must suit your lifestyle; if you have a high traffic environment durable low maintenance flooring is the best feng shui choice.   Feng shui aims to create harmony and a high maintenance flooring choice with growing children in a home will have an impact on your daily life.

Flooring choices, in consideration with feng shui, should always be based on designs that are compatible with your floor plan and lifestyle.

Developers and planners should consider these 6 design features fundamental to feng shui.

1. Front Door Accessibility – This should be considered for both the building and the individual units.  The front door is considered a key area in feng shui and should have the most visibility. The path to the entrance must be fully accessible without any confusion about how to arrive there.  When owners, tenants and guests can leave and arrive at their front door without struggle everyone benefits.  On a daily basis the atmosphere will not be permeated with frustration and annoyance.  In feng shui, the front door is understood to be the place where opportunities find you and enter into your life.
2. Entrance Foyer – Stairs should not face the front door.  All the opportunities that have arrived at the front door will be pushed out by the downward push of the opposing stairway.
3. The front door and the back door should be offset so that they are not aligned.  The energy will move from the front door quickly to the back door which challenges the finances of the occupants.
4. Bathrooms should not be visible from the front door-this relates to health and finances.
5. The kitchen should not be the focal point when entering into the condo or apartment-this relates to finances, health and nutrition.
6. Bedrooms – The position of the bed and sleeping area of the bedroom is a key area in feng shui.  The bed should be located on a solid wall with the door visible to someone lying in bed.  In feng shui, we call this the commanding position.  Feng shui bedroom design should consider the placement of the bed as a priority; a solid wall without windows, doors or closets.  It is also important that the bedroom wall where the head of the bed is located should not be a shared wall with the kitchen or a bathroom.   Finally, shared utility closets in multi-unit dwellings can emit a tremendous amount of electromagnetic fields and their locations should be well planned to minimize the impact on bedrooms.

Tip: The foyer or entryway should easily transition into a gathering room where the seating arrangement is inviting.

The Feng Shui Factor: Modern Homes Ancient Blueprint discusses all of these aspects in detail and the concepts can easily be applied to multi-unit dwellings.

MaryAnn Russell

Feng Shui Consultant, Author

Feng Shui Factor

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