Feng Shui for the Kitchen



Posted: Wednesday, October 20, 2010

by lorien1973
Online Discount Mart Home & Garden Decor

Regardless of your culinary skills, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home and Feng Shui can help you to make your kitchen pleasant, functional and relaxing. It's certainly worth taking the time to have an efficient kitchen as, along with the bathroom, most realtors also consider it the most important room when it comes to selling your home. And you probably spend more time in it than you think - and perhaps more time than you want to.

Feng Shui is a practice that is centuries old and is the Chinese art of placing objects and furnishings in harmony with each other. Its theories can be applied to just about every room in your home and to every aspect of your life; and in fact you probably practice some of its techniques without even realizing it. The kitchen especially is important in Feng Shui, as it is the one room in a home that sustains and nourishes life. You may not be able to do anything about the location of your kitchen, but ideally it should not be located too close to the front or back door; if so, it allows positive Feng Shui energy to easily escape.

Although gadgets can be useful and time-saving, Feng Shui practitioners maintain that gadgets in the kitchen should be kept to a minimum. Too much clutter can be distracting and divert your attention and energy away from the task of preparing and cooking healthy and tasty meals. Always throw out any broken gadgets or appliances, rather than keep them sitting around not being used. Try not to have clutter and odds and ends in your kitchen drawers, as the clutter tends to then define your overall state. You may rely on your microwave a lot; however serious Feng Shui exponents argue that a microwave decreases the chances of having a peaceful state of mind, in addition to the more practical disadvantage of not heating food up as thoroughly as your oven.

Of course, the most important feature of any kitchen is the stove and even its placement in the kitchen is important in Feng Shui. Ideally, the stove should be in a position in which the person cooking there can easily see the doorway without turning away from the stove. Most stoves face the wall, so this can be something of a challenge to achieve; one solution is to hang a mirror or something reflective above the stove. Your stove also represents prosperity and for this reason, a window should never be located directly above the stove, doing this can allow any prosperity to escape through the open window.

Most designers consider the so-called kitchen triangle - the stove, fridge and sink - to be important to ensure more efficient use of space; and this is also important in Feng Shui. Not only does it mean that you can move freely between these three fixtures, it also helps to provide the best balance between the two conflicting elements of fire and water. One major trend today is to make the kitchen - along with an adjoining dining room - the center of the house, something that Feng Shui has been advocating for centuries. This layout encourages communication, participation and an increase in quality family time.

When it comes to the color scheme in your kitchen, Feng Shui considers this to be important as well. You may never have realized that yellow is supposedly a good color to help with digestion, while white, red and brown are also suitable colors for preparing food. Colors to be avoided, according to Feng Shui practitioners are water colors such as black and blue because they tend to overshadow the fire element in your kitchen. A splash of color in the form of a bowl of flowers, painting or ornaments is acceptable and will add to the positive energy present. Feng Shui also maintains that a well ventilated and well lit kitchen will lead to an increase in energy and an overall better mood. And of course, it is also healthier and safer. Feng Shui
Lorien1973 writes articles about home decor and garden decor for such sites as Online Discount Mart.
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