From all the rooms in the house, the kitchen is an important room in Feng Shui: it is associated with health, as this is partly due to a good diet. But it is also often the place where we share meals and therefore a time of exchange and conviviality. Follow my advice to fill it with beautiful energies and make the most of the benefits of this room.
A well-designed feng shui kitchen
In Feng Shui, we always try to favour a good circulation of Chi. The layout must be designed to ensure that the circulation is fluid. In this context, the central island (very fashionable at the moment) is not necessarily a good idea. In a kitchen with little space, it clutters the space and creates four sharp corners.
The cook should avoid turning her back to the door when preparing food. If possible, he or she should face one of its favourable orientations, especially the Tian Yi orientation, which governs health (see my article on the kua number).
Finally, we try as much as possible to keep fire (the hob, the ovens) and water (the sink, the dishwasher, the fridge) away. Why should we do this? Because yang/masculine fire and yin/feminine water do not have the same energy, we don’t want them to come into conflict, which would encourage quarrels between family members. When the room surface does not allow it, you can use wood (a large chopping board for example) between the sink and the cooker, or provide wooden fronts if the oven column is next to the fridge.
Once again, I repeat myself, but the ideal is to intervene as soon as possible when you are trying to improve your life thanks to Feng Shui: it is much easier to foresee the water and gas supplies, the sockets with the right amperage, etc., before doing any work.
No mess in a feng shui kitchen
A shar chi is an energy flow that does not carry good vibrations. It should be avoided as much as possible. In a kitchen, this starts with organised storage, allowing everything to be in its place. Closed storage is ideal, because it is difficult to have only nice things to display in a kitchen: tins or packets of cakes are not decorative objects, nor is a collection of preserving tins. Even inside cupboards or drawers, you can provide organisers to separate items and make it much easier to find things.
On the other hand, one or two shelves can be provided to showcase pretty dishes, especially if they have sentimental value.
Finally, without falling into minimalism, try to avoid cluttering the kitchen with useless objects, donate or sell utensils you never use or cookbooks that are not inspiring. On the other hand, grocery cupboards and the fridge should not be empty: the fact that they are full of food is a sign of prosperity that promotes abundance.
Freshness in a feng shui kitchen
The expiry date of food should be checked regularly and out-of-date produce should not be kept, nor, of course, should spoiled fruit from the basket. Freshness of produce promotes good energy, and by extension, as it applies to meals, good health.
Freshness is also in the air. A house where the air is changed regularly is also part of the good habits to be adopted for a good Chi to circulate. In the kitchen, it is even more important than elsewhere to air the room, once or twice a day, and especially after cooking fragrant food. It is also advisable to equip the kitchen with a good extractor hood in order to limit these nuisances as much as possible.
Nurturing energy in a feng shui kitchen
As you know, feng shui means bagua and the cycle of the 5 elements. The characteristics of the sectors will always help us to define which colours, materials and shapes are the most appropriate to furnish a room. Thus, knowing in which sector(s) the kitchen is located is essential.
If you are having a house built, the two most favourable areas for the kitchen would be the East, in relation to health, and the South-East in relation to creativity and inspiration. If we take into account the school of flying stars, then the favourable mountain star should be there.
The work of the expert is important to provide the necessary nuances and manage the compromises. For example, even if your kitchen is in the South, avoid a bright red: the room already has a very yang aspect due to its characteristics. Red would add a layer and the yin/yang balance would not be respected. In this case, choose a powdery pink or a parma, in short, colours of the Fire type but rather soft.
Careful and sufficient lighting is also very important in the kitchen. If you have good natural light, this is ideal. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to multiply the light points.
The kitchen should always be the soul of the house. It is a pity that it is sometimes relegated to a kitchen area in our tiny flats. The fashion for all stainless steel, to do as the pros do, has also unbalanced this room of the house by bringing too much metal into it. A kitchen should not be “cold”. It should be warm and cheerful, and people should want to spend time in it. Fortunately, for some years now, wood has been making a strong comeback: Water nourishes it and it feeds Fire. It is therefore an element that ensures the continuity of the production cycle.