Choosing Your Feng Shui Kitchen Color, Part 2

TKSI traditional kitchen portfolio Nicholas customs

During November, we have dedicated our blog to show people how to get started in the mystic world of Feng shui as we learn easy tips on how to apply this Asian knowledge and technique when designing your new kitchen.
Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China, it is based on the Taoist vision and understanding of nature, particularly on the idea that the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy.
Feng means wind and Shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated. Last week, we discussed Feng Shui principles and meaning, and different techniques that will help you arrange your Kitchen or any other space in your home in a healthy way.
On our last post we discussed how to choose the color of your Feng Shui Kitchen and everything else in Feng shui, is determined by the Kitchen’s location.
Last week, we went over the south, southwest, west and northwest locations and which color could be applied in order to balance the kitchen’s energy. Today, we are going to discuss, the 4 locations left.

Chinese Horoscope and AstrologyNorth Area Kitchen

Feng shui bagua area: Career & Path in Life
Western bagua location: lower center
It is important to balance your kitchen’s water element and keep it happy when it is in the North area. In these cases, blue, black, gray and white, work well on it. Nonetheless, you need to keep the fire element of the kitchen strong, so avoid abusing of these colors.
Black kitchen colors can be used to attract power to your home, which can be associated with wealth. Blue kitchen colors work well with brown and green tones in modern wallpaper patterns, wall tile and painting, attracting peaceful and pleasant changes.
Try to find a good visual balance between Water and Fire colors with the emphasis being on blue, black, gray and white colors. The metal element is usually an excellent balancing point for a North area kitchen in both it’s colors – white and gray.

Northeast Area Kitchen

Feng shui bagua area: Spiritual Growth & Cultivation
Western bagua location: lower left
Kitchens in the Northeast area share the same Earth element as a kitchen in the Southeast area, therefore, they are easy to work with. Remember you can use strong reds and yellows. So, feel free to have as many intense colors as you want. Also, bring an abundance of Earth element decor and colors; avoid the color black.

East Area Kitchen

Feng shui bagua area: Health & Family
Western bagua location: mid left
In this area, is important not to abuse element of metal or fire. Otherwise, they might damage the energy from Wood element  of this bagua area. Try to focus on the Earth feng shui element. Brown and green kitchen color shades and combinations are symbols of health and vitality.
Natural wood kitchen cabinets, dining furniture and decorating accessories, combined with green curtains, upholstery fabric, towels or utensils, attract abundance, wealth and prosperity. Choose soft and earthy greens to help create a relaxing space. A living plant or two can enhance these earthy tones.
Avoid too much black, blue, as well as white and gray colors.

Brian 2Southeast Area Kitchen

Feng shui bagua area: Wealth & Money
Western bagua location: top left
A Southeast area kitchen requires the same attention as the one in the East as they both share the same element – Wood. So, feel free to use as much Wood element decor and colors as you wish.
The element of Earth brings stability with comfortable brown kitchen colors, natural wood tones of kitchen cabinets and dining furniture, golden, beige and pleasant yellow wallpaper patterns, wall tiles or paint colors.
Displaying plants, fruit and vegetables, as well as fresh herbs or flowers are excellent ways to boost the earth energy and attract abundance and wealth.
These four plus the other four locations from our previous post, are all the possible locations you can place your kitchen and the colors you can apply to balance its energy.
So far, we already know where to place our kitchen, where it should be facing, as well as how to calculate your Kua number, and how to select the correct color to balance its energy.
On our following post, we will discuss which appliances your kitchen should have and where to place them, to keep well-balanced your feng shui kitchen.

Designing your Feng Shui Kitchen

When it comes to facelifting your kitchen or designing a brand new one, the most common questions that pop in our head are: How? What colors should I use, which materials are better? How much space do I need? And, so on…
In previous posts, we discussed different aspects you should focus on and useful tips you can use, when remodeling or designing your new kitchen. Since we are beginning November, we would like to dedicate this whole month to an ancient science and art.
Remember your kitchen is one of the most important areas of your home. Therefore, it should be nice, cozy, relaxing and appealing and there is no better way to reach these attributes than designing your kitchen through the feng shui vision.
In the next series of posts we are going to show you, the benefits for the health of your body and mind when planning your home through feng shui holistic principles. Also, how through different tips of locations, appliances and colors, you can achieve a well-balanced and harmonic environment.

What is Feng Shui?

Now, it is very important to understand that feng shui is not just a cool name to describe your kitchen when your friends are showing off, their rustic, modern or baroque kitchen designs.
Before we begin throwing ideas and suggestions, it is essential to understand the basics of this ancient art.
Feng shui is a Chinese philosophical system, developed over 3,000 years ago, of harmonizing everyone with the surrounding environment. It discusses architecture in metaphoric terms of “invisible forces” that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi.
In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health. Taoist vision and understanding of nature, believe that the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy, therefore land’s energy could either bring good fortune, bad luck, or misfortune.
Feng shui practice reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.

Analysis and Calculations

Feng shui is one of the Five Arts of Chinese Metaphysics, classified as physiognomy (observation of appearances through formulas and calculations). These are performed with a Compass and a Bagua.
The feng shui energy map, or bagua, is an octagonal grid containing the symbols of the I Ching, the ancient oracle on which feng shui is based. Knowing the bagua of your home will help you understand the connection of specific feng shui areas of your home to specific areas of your life.
The feng shui compass, also called Luo-Pan, is used to access deeper information about a site or a building. It consists of bands of concentric rings arranged around the magnetic needle. Luo means everything and Pan means bowl, which can be interpreted as a bowl that contains all the mysteries of the universe.
You can find these tools on any Chinese store and even on feng shui books.
Once, you have defined the areas with positive and negative energy; you can begin balancing the energies of your environment through different techniques and using several elements.
On our next post, find out more about feng shui and how to apply it to your kitchen in order to design the healthiest, most relaxing and coziest environment you can possibly have.