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.

Where to Place Your Feng Shui Kitchen

Rustic kitchen cabintets

Continuing with last week’s topic, today we would like to go deeper into the ancient world of the Feng shui and how to apply it to your kitchen design. Since we already have a basic understanding of this Asian art, we can begin discussing easy ways of getting started in this Chinese metaphysics practice.
The kitchen is our source of energy and well-being. We cook our meals in it, and we have access to other vital elements for our survival such as water. Feng shui principles dictate that your kitchen is the heart of your home. The Chinese placed their kitchens in the east or south sectors of their homes to promote the kitchen’s fire elements.
Feng shui kitchens are vital to a home’s overall feng shui health. Therefore, by placing your kitchen in the right area, you can effectively create a harmonious space that supports your health and well-being.

At The Kitchen Showcase we have all you need for Remodeling your Denver homeWhere to Begin?

Before considering any kitchen design, try to think of a rectangle shaped kitchen and avoid round shapes. Also, make sure the living room, dining room and kitchen areas are all on the same level.
Placing your kitchen in the east or south sectors of your home is a great start. Begin to construct in your head the rest of rooms and avoid putting certain rooms near the kitchen.
Here is what not to do:

  • Don’t locate the kitchen in the front of your home or facing the front door. This kills any positive chi attempting to enter your home.
  • Don’t locate your kitchen in the center of your home.
  • Don’t place your kitchen below an upstairs bathroom or facing a toilet. Water and waste destroy the auspicious chi.
  • Don’t place the kitchen facing a bedroom.  Chi energy from the kitchen is yang and the bedroom’s energy is ying. Facing these two areas can create an energy conflict. In fact, feng shui believes that this kind of configuration results in family members constantly being sick.

Now that we have a basic understanding of this ancient art and we have already defined the perfect location for our kitchen, we can begin thinking how to design its interior and where to place its appliances.
Believe it or not, placing the kitchen’s appliances can be even more significant and complex than just setting the kitchen room. Therefore, we are going to dedicate a complete post just to this subject.
Follow us on our next post, and learn more about this fascinating Asian knowledge, as we keep heading to the designing and construction of your own 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.