Feng shui follies: design mistakes to consider before moving

feng shui house for sale

Feng shui plays an important role when it comes to home design in Asia. From interior design to the shape of the building itself, the multi-disciplinary art is a factor for both homebuyers and renters looking to side step bad vibes.

So what is feng shui? At its core, feng shui is essentially the art of placement. Its forces are subtle but can have a great impact on your life, especially in the home where you will spend a considerable amount of time. Regardless of if you want to add value to your home or simply want more positive energy, here are a few feng shui mistakes to look out for.

Avoid these feng shui follies

Funnel shape plot

As available land in metropolises shrinks, some odd shaped land plots have been created. This has forced developers to utilise them despite their unique sizes. In feng shui, a land plot that is shaped like a funnel, larger at the front and small at the back, is no good. It can make accumulating money difficult and is believed to cause health problems.

How to avoid: Explore the plot of land a project is built upon to see if it is funnel shaped. While most projects are still built on square- or rectangle-shaped plots of land, this is not always the case.

Kitchen in the northwest

The breadwinner is represented by the northwest corner of a residence. In feng shui, this space is called the heavenly palace. When this corner contains a kitchen, outdoor grill or other heat source, it means the breadwinner is at risk of suffering a severe loss.

“An arrangement such as this can cause the man to leave, difficulty holding on to a man or attracting a man if the woman of the house is single, or causing severe loss for the man such as by accident, major illness, or job or financial loss like bankruptcy,” Kathryn Weber, a feng shui design expert, explains.

How to avoid: Break out the compass, or the compass app on your phone, when inspecting a house or condo unit to see what direction to kitchen is located in.

feng shui
A shoji, a Japanese-style room divider
Bed alignment

When it comes to feng shui, one of the gravest offenses is when the bed aligns with a bathtub, sink or toilet. It is believed this creates the potential for loss with cancer, a stroke, a major accident, bankruptcy or even death a possibility.  It’s vital the bed is moved so that it is not aligned with the bathroom door or bath fixtures.

How to avoid: Move your bed if it is aligned with the bathtub, sink or toilet. A shoji, a Japanese room divider, works if the size of your room prevents the bed from being moved.

These are just a few of the feng shui mistakes out there. This article has a few more issues you should consider.