Feng Shui Design - Wisconsin Log Homes

Ancient Asian feng shui design principals emphasize creating a harmonious environment by
blending both man-made and natural materials through placement, color, and meaning, making it
an ideal design discipline for some rustic home enthusiasts.
Many supporters of feng shui design are convinced that by making deliberate design choices,
occupants can experience positive changes in their home, social, work and wealth areas of their
life by harnessing positive energies in the home and pushing out negative ones through placement
and design.
The word feng shui translates literally into wind water. In classic feng shui design, balance and
harmony in the home is achieved by integrating the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and
water. Ch’i is a movable positive or negative life force than can be manipulated in and around
the home. Of course, one wants to push negative energy out of the home and attract positive
energy.
Here are some basic tips you may want to employ when designing a feng shui inspired rustic
home:
• Try to select a regular shaped lot without many sharp angles. Water views are
ideal; and if your lot is sloping, position your home so that it’s three-quarters the
way up the hill so the hill may support your home and provide protection. This
makes walkout basements even more appealing!
• A southern exposure for the main entry and core living area of the home is
ideal.
• A home should contain only one main, single entry door. Secondary doors
should not compete with the main entry nor enter on the same side of the
home. Steer clear of busy and cluttered entryways, keep it open and inviting
and lead to the entry with a softly curved walkway.
• In a rustic home, the exterior may be stained in a color similar to the roof,
stone, etc. You can achieve feng shui balance by staining your trim and/or front
door a contrasting color, and also with colorful vegetation and flowers. Too much
of any one color is not harmonious.
• To keep positive energy flowing, design an open floor plan with a distinct public
family area surrounded by areas used for sleep and rest, children and creativity,
and wealth and work.
• Make locations of doors, windows and stairways a priority. A stairway channels
ch’i - stairways should not face the entry as it will channel the positive ch’i out
the door, like wealth or love. A straight-run stair speeds up the movement of
ch’i while a spiral shape can drain energy from the second floor. Do not place a
bedroom door directly facing the stair opening. Stairs should be wide and well lit.
Stairs should not be centered in the home as this is compared to having a piercing
hole in your heart or not having a heart in your home. Keep them away from the
front door and on an exterior side wall, or if necessary to have the stairs in the
foyer, place the first step on a 90 degree angle from the main entry.
• Incorporate high well-lit ceilings and avoid ceiling beams over beds or seating
areas as they can push pressure down on the occupant. An orderly home is a
restful and productive home so ample storage is important to managing the ch’i
in your home and to prevent overcrowding or excessive clutter. Never design
empty or dark corners in a feng shui inspired home as these corners trap and
breed negative energy.
• In great rooms, keep seated occupants facing the doorway, never their back
to the door. People are thought to be more at rest when they can see what is
coming. Furniture should be made of soft, natural materials and stay away from
sharp angles.
• In bedrooms, the bed should always be placed with a solid wall behind it, and
the door should be visible from the bed, but the foot should not directly face the
doorway as that is represented by the death position and the wind could carry
negative ch’i over you through the door during sleep.
• In bathrooms, place a natural arrangement on the top of the toilet tank or
above it on a shelf so that you do not flush ch’i away. A bathroom placed near the
entry is believed to flush the positive ch’i out of the home before it gets a chance
to circulate it. Centrally located bathrooms are also said to be damaging to health
and prosperity. You can counteract a central bath by painting it red. Screen the
toilet from the rest of the bathroom and if possible, design with a window.
• In kitchens, never place a stove or oven across from water sources like a sink
as water and fire elements collide and can ignite family discord. Do not place
bedrooms directly above a kitchen as kitchens are a source of heat and fire
which can travel upward and are believed to be bad luck.
• The exception to the open concept home is the formal dining room, which
should be separate from the kitchen to reduce distractions while having intimate
meals. Two doors entering and exiting the space is a great way to keep ch’i
moving freely. The table should be centered and there should be ample room
for each diner to move about. Circular or rounded edge tables are preferred to
stimulate appetite and conversation.
• Color is an important factor in feng shui design. Since too much of one color
is out of balance, it is important to bring color into the space to achieve harmony
in a home with so much wood and neutral browns. Soft colors are used in
bedrooms; more saturated colors in different hues should be used throughout.
Since green = wood; red = fire; yellow brown and orange = earth; white, silver,
gray and gold = metal; and black and blue = water; then many of these colors
should be used to balance the ch’i in your home and should be tastefully used
throughout.
• Accessorizing in the feng shui style is easy. Mirrors can be used to reflect, attract
or deflect ch’i and make a space appear larger and airier. Anything in numbers of
nine or multiples of nine are admired. Placing 9 live plants throughout your home
is said to bring good health, while numbers of 4 is considered bad luck. Design a
water feature like a waterfall or fountain in the home, but have the fall of water face
the home, not away towards the door.
Feng shui is a design principle that cannot be mastered overnight. It is a practice that takes
many years to perfect and also to find which key elements work best for you. It is, however, a
philosophy gaining momentum in western cultures as the trend towards nesting and making the
home a private sanctuary after a hard work day and is a key player in rustic home design yesterday,
today and tomorrow.
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