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Posts Tagged Kitchen

Dos and Don’ts of T.V.s in Feng Shui

by Lisa Janusz

I was explaining to my eldest son recently how much televisions have changed since I was a child. He sat mystified that even I remember having to physically get up to change the channel. And that if I wanted to watch a show, I had to be home at the right time. With all the advancements – remote control, big screens, on demand – it’s no wonder that they have become for many a “need” over want.

I’ve seen interior decorating take some interesting stances on televisions. Some are going “old school” and going back to living rooms without T.V.s and saving them only for family rooms. Some are just trying to incorporate T.V.s in a better way through “hiding” them or making them part of a feature or gallery wall.

In Feng Shui, televisions are like black holes. They suck energy, both when they are on and when they are off. Yet, for many of us (including me!), we like them and aren’t going to part with them anytime soon.

If you want to minimize the impact of your television, here are some quick tips:

  • DO have a television the right size, that doesn’t dominate the room
  • DO have a way to de-emphasize it if it’s in a main entertaining/social area. You can do that by keeping it in an armoire, hiding it behind a picture or incorporating it in the ambiance (think fake fire or pretty scenery photos)
  • DO have a television in the appropriate room – living room, family room, den, or home theater. Don’t put a television in a room that conflicts with the purpose of the room. Rooms that are not appropriate for a T.V.:
    • Bedrooms: Yours or your child’s. Yes, we hear people tell us they need them to fall asleep. And most of the time – those same people don’t sleep well. They bring in too much energy. Your room should be a sanctuary. Kids should also have a calm room because they typically don’t need to be bombarded with more energy.
    • Kitchens: This is a room for nurturing your family and connecting. A television interferes with that.
    • Bathrooms: This is a room that already has a lot of draining energy in it, why add another drain? Where did this trend come from anyway? How much time are they spending in there?
    • Office: Unless your work aligns with a T.V., it’s a message about being distracted from your goals.

Keep in mind that your space communicates to others about you – your life, your interests, your goals. That’s a key principle of Feng Shui. As you look at your television(s), how many and where they are located, think about what message you’re sending.

If you’d like more tips, here’s a previous post I wrote about televisions and Feng Shui. I also address how to deal with a T.V. that won’t be moving.

Heating Up the Refrigerator with a Feng Shui Approach

refrigerator in kitchen

By Carole Hyder

The refrigerator is a formidable kitchen appliance, not only because it is necessary for food storage but also because it typically has a large presence in the kitchen. When Feng Shui was first applied to homes, there were no refrigerators. Addressing the impact of this new, convenient appliance on the Feng Shui of the space had to be factored in as people modernized—-much like the situation of bathrooms which were originally not inside the home.

Refrigerators not only keep food fresh but also impact the health of those who live there. When the refrigerator is filled with stale, outdated and unused food, it isn’t a strong message about well-being. Cleaning it out from time-to-time is necessary, which includes throwing out old food as well as keeping the shelves and drawers immaculate.

Here are some other ideas for integrating the refrigerator with good Feng Shui principles:

  1. Keep the refrigerator clear of extraneous items on the front and sides. The refrigerator is not a bulletin board, photo album, nor a game surface. All of this creates Feng Shui “noise” which disrupts the intention of creating healthy and wholesome food.
  2. Don’t burden the refrigerator with unnecessary clutter on top. Unless the items on the top are decorative eye-candy, that surface should not become a storage area. Keep it clear and clean.
  3. Avoid placing the refrigerator next to the stove. This arrangement is a recipe for arguments—-between family members, friends, neighbors and/or co-workers. This is because the stove, which is a fire appliance, and the refrigerator, which is a water appliance, clash—thereby reflecting that conflict to the occupants. Place a plant on the top of that clean and cleared-off refrigerator (see #2!) to resolve the issue (even a silk one).

We certainly don’t want to be without refrigeration so this appliance is definitely here to stay. Giving it some consideration as it relates to the kitchen will assure that your refrigerator complies to good Feng Shui. In fact, done right, it will be very cool.

Cooking Up Abundance: Feng Shui for Your Stove

stoveBy Lisa Janusz

Happy New Year! We’re officially in it now – both the Chinese Solar and Lunar New Year’s have passed and a new energy has arrived. I’ve been basking in this slower energy of the Sheep. The days have been less hectic and I’m finding myself more relaxed doing the things I enjoy – like cooking.

In terms of Feng Shui, the stove is a very significant feature in a home. It embodies the fire element (gas or electric – think heat!) because it cooks food. It also has a connection to wealth. By traditional standards, if you had enough good food to cook, then you were considered wealthy. This connection has not been lost with modern times.

If you want to capture that intention of wealth, here are a few things you can do to make sure your stove is in good Feng Shui order.

  1. Make sure all burners work. If one or more aren’t working properly, then you aren’t getting the full potential of wealth available to you.
  2. Use all of the burners. This is a tough one even for me. But the reasoning behind this is that each is getting an opportunity to work for you. If one is stagnant, again, you aren’t utilizing its full potential.
  3. Keep the stove clean. Remember it’s a symbol of wealth. Think about this direct link to your prosperity and treat it as such.
  4. Use it for its intended purpose. That would be cooking. Don’t use it as storage. Even if you eat out all the time, it still needs to be kept in a condition that it could be used if the occasion strikes.
  5. Don’t stand with your back to the door. This is a challenge for many kitchens. The theory is that if a cook is startled that feeling gets “cooked” in the food. You don’t want to serve that to your family or friends! Place a mirror or mirrored object to reflect behind you to correct for it.

I hope this new year is cookin’ along well for you! Now, go forth, make good meals and prosper.

What’s on YOUR Walls? The Art of Feng Shui

Frames of rooster placed above the fireplaceBy Carole Hyder

Everything in your environment—-home or office—-can have an impact on your outlook whether you may be conscious of its effect or not. It goes without saying that the artwork you hang on your walls is not exempt from providing this same influence.

There are some definite Feng Shui guidelines when placing artwork in your space that can empower both you and your art. It’s obvious you should love the artwork you display and you should continue to be inspired by its presence. If not, remove it, sell it or give it away. If you and your partner/spouse cannot agree on a piece of art that is jointly owned (one loves it; the other does not), take steps to place the artwork where the one who loves it can truly enjoy its message and the other doesn’t have to see it on a regular basis.

Here are some other Feng Shui “rules” for assessing your artwork:

  1. Have restful art in the bedroom (florals, pastoral landscapes, calming colors);
  2. Have food-related or farm-related art in the kitchen and eating areas (fruit, farming scenes, agricultural themes). Images or colors that support health are appropriate here.
  3. Your daring, innovative and controversial art is nicely positioned in public spaces such as the living room or family room.
  4. Scenes that depict warring factions, such as those depicted in mythology, must be carefully positioned so their conflict doesn’t play out in some way in your life.

Whatever artwork you may have on your walls, make sure it still inspires you and speaks to who you are. More importantly, make sure it reflects where you are heading; otherwise, it’s holding you back. If you’ve had the same artwork on your walls for many years, ask yourself if you still love it and if it still fits with your goals. Or perhaps it’s time for a new vision. Let your space help you move forward in perceptive, subtle and artful ways.

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