Don't you wish that the people making house plans had some basic feng shui knowledge? I know I sure do! Helping my clients feng shui their homes or apartments can sometimes be really challenging, when architectural flaws create sha chi or a mismanagement of the flow of chi in a home.
Following are some of the worst offenders when it comes to architectural flaws. For more in this series read: Feng Shui Property Faults and Feng Shui Design Faux Pas and coming soon!
Exposed Overhead Beams & Trusses
Sometimes these are added to ceilings for the aesthetics and visual appeal to lift the eye and create the illusion of more head room. In rustic and modern homes, weight bearing trusses and beams are sometimes left exposed for the same effect. And weight bearing is exactly what these exposed overhead beams not only provide but produce in your home or work environments. The weight, not only of the beam, but everything it's holding up, is bearing down on anyone standing, sitting or sleeping directly underneath. This can cause serious health and disastrous relationship problems.
Feng Shui Remedy: If they cannot safely be removed, cover them. If you like the look of the exposed overhead beams, do NOT position furniture directly underneath them.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: I do not recommend living in homes that have exposed overhead beams and trusses.
Front Door Opposite Back Door
One of the most important things to consider is how the chi enters, pools, flows and circulates in the space. What you don't want is for the energy to come in the front door and exit out the back door. You need to create a welcoming space for the energy to come in and stay a while like you would a beloved family member, best friend or favorite person.
Feng Shui Remedy: Place a large round table with a large vase or statue between the front and back doors to slow down the chi and direct it around the obstacle in its path. This way the energy won't immediately flow out the back door.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: Avoid houses with front and back doors opposite each other. Even if you don't use the back door, you will not be able to collect and benefit from the energy flowing into your life. If you have a home with a back door opposite the front door, remove or move the back door.
Stairs Opposite Front Door
This common feature in many two story houses is absolutely unacceptable. Our homes contain our lifetime of accumulated assets. They hold space for everything we own, all of our prized possessions and personal belongings, sentimental memorabilia, family heirlooms and photos, collectibles and collections, treasures and important files and documents. Stairs opposite the front door represents all of our prosperity flowing out of our home and not being able to retain our personal wealth.
Feng Shui Remedy: Sometimes there is room in a large foyer to place a large round table with a vase or statue between the stairs and the front door. Most of the time there is not room to position an obstacle to slow down and block the chi from escaping through the front door. Stairs are not an easy element to move, so the only other remedy is to move the front door.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: When I do Prospective Reports for clients who are in the market for a new home, I advise them NOT to buy a house with stairs opposite the front door.
Sunken Rooms
Thankfully sunken rooms are no longer fashionable. In addition to being a safety hazard, sunken areas create a yin energy space in rooms that should have yang active energy.
Feng Shui Remedy: Raise the floor to the level of the other rooms on that story of the house.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: Avoid homes with sunken rooms if you're not prepared to remedy the area by raising the floor.
Bedrooms on the Frontside
We sleep one-third of our lives. To have peaceful, restorative sleep we need to create rooms with yin energy. Yin energy is dark, still and quiet. The energy in the back of the house tends to be more yin. Occupants of bedrooms on the frontside of a home will be disturbed by more light, sounds and activity from the street, traffic noise and neighbors.
Feng Shui Remedy: If you have a bedroom on the frontside of your home, make the room as yin as possible. Use blackout curtains. Wear an eye mask and ear plugs. Get a white noise machine. Remove any mirrors, all technology and living plants in your bedroom.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: Use bedrooms on the frontside as active daytime rooms like home gyms, home offices, gaming or media rooms or children's playrooms.
Missing Corners
I saved the worst for last. House plans with missing areas or extended areas that create missing sectors are the worst architectural flaw. In feng shui we want to see homes and buildings that are square or rectangular shaped. This ensures that each area of the bagua has a livable or workable space that can be occupied and remedied or enhanced. Missing corners in homes represents missing areas of our life.
Feng Shui Remedy: If you have a missing corner you can add a flag pole, plant a large tree or install a lamp post to square off the corner. If you have an outdoor space like a deck or patio you can add a roof to the deck or create a covered or enclosed patio. Another remedy is to place a crystal in the earth at the corner to energetically intend that the space is complete. However, in many cases this area of your life can still be negatively affected, especially if you cannot be physically present or spend time there. It's especially challenging when the missing area is in one of your personal feng shui element's four Best Directions.
Feng Shui Expert Advice: Live in homes that are square or rectangular in shape. Avoid L shaped homes or homes with extended garages or additions that create missing areas.
I offer Prospective Reports for clients who are in the market for a new home or office. I "run the numbers" based on a compass reading and date of construction to determine the unseen energy and provide you with my expert advice and recommendations. Find out if the home will be supportive for you and your family and what the architectural flaws are and if they can be easily remedied. Read about Prospective Reports.
⛲️
If you’re ready to get professionally feng shui’d, contact me!
Or, read about the do-it-yourself option with my Annual DIY Feng Shui Guide.
To feng shui your personal element's best directions, download the FREE Feng Shui for YOU! Guide on the page for your personal feng shui element. Just subscribe!
Ready to go feng shui yourself? Read about Personal Energy Coaching sessions.
For more on how this year's energy will affect YOU, subscribe to the Feng Shui Yourself blog.
If you enjoyed this publication, please like, comment and share!
