Feng Shui Basics for Your Home

In an earlier post, we discussed the basics of feng shui for your entrance area and front door. Let’s briefly summarize that information here before we turn to specific tips for your kitchen:

• Feng shui is a Chinese system or philosophy of design centered around creating balance and harmony between five basic elements: water, fire, wood, metal and earth.
• Practitioners place furnishings, art, and other items in a specific room or area of a home using a compass or bagua, based on those five elements.
• The feng shui elements can be seen in both constructive and destructive modes. Water puts out fire (destructive) but helps wood grow (constructive).
• The overarching principle or goal in feng shui is balance and the clear flow of energy throughout your home. So a lot of feng shui work is about removing obstacles to the natural flow of your home’s “chi,” or life energy.

As Inês Martins, a highly-respected Miami-based designer, puts it: “We always start from the client’s own essence … to know them thoroughly, to ensure that every detail, every element, every space, finds a perfect harmony with what they really are or [where] they really want to find themselves.”

That’s also the essence of feng shui.

Why the Kitchen Is Important in Feng Shui

Every room in your home governs a certain area of your life, according to feng shui. For the kitchen, that area is prosperity and wealth.

The kitchen is associated primarily with the energy, sustenance, and abundance we take from food. In feng shui, that literal energy (food into calories consumed to fuel our bodies) also symbolizes the more esoteric energy of financial wealth and abundance.

So the key to good feng shui in your kitchen is protecting the unobstructed flow of that energy of abundance.

In fact, the kitchen is so important in feng shui that it’s considered part of the “feng shui trinity” — the bathroom, the bedroom, and the kitchen. Together, these three rooms form a crucial framework for the health and harmony of the home.

Feng Shui Tips for Your Kitchen

You can ensure a free flow of prosperity through your home by ensuring a more open floor plan for your kitchen and immediately adjacent areas, such as breakfast nooks and dining rooms. Generally speaking, if a person can move easily from one area into another, so can the energy.

Also, if at all possible, avoid having your kitchen open directly into a main point of egress (i.e., front or back door), if you want to keep that energy from flowing out of your home altogether.

Install the best lighting possible. Dark, shadowy corners and harsh, glaring fluorescent lighting are equally damaging to good feng shui and balanced energy flow. Aim for building layers and levels of lighting, depending on the appliances and functions of specific parts of your kitchen.

Although the kitchen is often a place that collects “stuff” — gadgets, electronics, utensils, and lots of cookware — it’s always better from a feng shui perspective to drastically reduce clutter.

There’s no need to go minimalist in your kitchen style, though. Instead, adopt a rigorous approach to organization and storage in this all-important room.

Use smaller containers to organize small items in drawers and cupboards. Invest in beautiful, well-made containers for items that will be visible (i.e., on counter tops, etc.). And avoid the trap of the “clutter drawer”!

Colors should be carefully chosen. Yellow is considered an auspicious choice for kitchens in feng shui, whether that’s the pale, soft shades of butter or a stronger, more vivacious butternut squash.

To more fully invoke the feng shui “abundance and prosperity” energy in your kitchen, add lovely fresh cut flowers in sparkling glass or crystal vases; a vibrant, healthy potted plant on a table or passthrough surface; or a bowl piled high with succulent, fresh fruit on your dining table.

And finally, no matter how large or small it may be, one of the most effective ways to enhance the feng shui of your kitchen is to keep it clean and tidy. Neglected spaces tend to accumulate dead, stagnant energy, whereas well-tended spaces keep that energy flowing smoothly.

trying to decide between kitchen styles for your remodel? Here are the 5 most popular

1. Cottage

Cottage style is all about cozying up to natural elements and tones. White is a classic choice, but really any hues can work if you keep the overall aesthetic on the muted, neutral side — for example, pale greys and taupes.

Another key feature is eclecticism, which you can achieve simply by pairing up unexpected styles — say, a table from one style paired with chairs from another — or mismatched chairs, for that matter, perhaps tied together with fabric or paint.

If cabinetry is overwhelming, it can throw off a cottage kitchen design. Instead, consider glass-fronted or open shelving to lighten up the look. Wooden floors and pendant lighting will help complete the cozy cottage look.

2. Modern

The key to modern design: simplified, dramatic color schemes and a sleek aesthetic. Black, white, and stainless are popular, but modern doesn’t mean “clinical and cold.” Warm up the basics with accent colors that pop. Think citrus — lime green, bright orange — and incorporate it with rugs, kitchen towels, artwork, bowls, or appliances.

Flooring should be kept understated and clean. Concrete is a solid choice, but geometric tiles can also work. If you’re not a fan of the black, white, and steel motif, try blond wood for your cabinetry and accessorize with a cool accent color.

As for materials, you can go natural and earthy (wood and steel) or molded plastic (think sleek eggshell-toned high-backed bar stools or chairs).

3. Contemporary

Contemporary is about what’s current today. So, while tones of taupe, brown, cream, and white work just fine in both modern and contemporary aesthetics, you want a fresher approach with contemporary style. Consider changing one wall or panel to a bright accent color.

As for materials, use wood strategically. Either keep the wood light-toned and minimally grained, such as birch or maple, or go with darker woods (walnut, cherry) but pair with predominantly white or cream tones.

Glass is another popular choice. You can create an easy bit of texture and visual interest by selecting a frosted glass for table tops or cabinet fronts. Brushed nickel, chrome, and stainless steel are dependable contemporary touches.

4. Country

“Country style” can encompass a huge variety of looks, colors, and materials, but the overriding aesthetic is warm, comfortable, and rustic. Color schemes can range from cheerful and busy to sedate and earth-toned. A wide range of patterns from florals to checks and plaids can also work nicely here.

For materials, think exposed brick and wood, whether stained, painted, or au naturel. Depending on the size of the room and whether it’s an open floor plan, you may find that too much medium to dark toned wood overpowers the room. Lighten things up elsewhere, perhaps with white or neutral walls. Antiqued brass and pewter fixtures can also work nicely.  

5. Classic

Classic style never goes out of style – that’s why we call it “classic”! Elements for this timeless style include marble-topped counters and island surfaces together with classic raised-panel cabinetry in darker woods (think walnut, cherry). Pair cabinetry with brushed nickel or brass hardware to lighten things up a bit.

While color schemes tend towards neutral, there’s nothing that says you can’t embrace bolder colors for wall paint, such as a deep red or hunter green, although those colors may be overpowering in a smaller kitchen. You can also go all-white, and even extend it as far as the cabinetry itself, but pair it with darker-toned appliances — steel or black, for example — to add some depth. 

Feel inspired yet? See our Kitchens board on Pinterest for more amazing examples of kitchen styles for your remodel, and if you already have a project in mind, contact us today to build the kitchen of your dreams.

Color inspiration can come from anywhere but not all colors work well in certain areas or for everyone. The hardest part is finding the right colors for your kitchen. We’ve put together a few kitchen color inspiration and tips to consider when choosing a “no regrets” color scheme for your kitchen.

• Select a list of colors you love and you respond emotionally to, it will help you on your day-to-day living there. 
• Be bold.  You can quickly change the appearance of a classical kitchen by adding a zesty color.
• Choose a neutral color for the most expensive items, such as Counter Tops or Granite, and then change the wall paint to your taste.

There are no rules for what are the appropriate colors, but keep in mind that specific colors can impact your mood, so make sure you research the basics of color psychology before choosing your palette and start remodeling! Here are a few colors for your inspiration.

BLUE KITCHEN DESIGN

PINK KITCHEN COLOR

CORAL KITCHEN INSPIRATION

GREEN KITCHEN

ORANGE AND BLACK

CHALLENGING PURPLE

Whether your kitchen is big or a small, there’s a lot of options to make your renovation special.  What’s does your dream kitchen look like – modern, country, classical, contemporary, dark or light cabinets, tile, wood, granite or quartz countertop? 

Take a look at these styles for kitchen design inspiration

CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN DESIGN

A clean and sleek design is a must to accomplish a contemporary kitchen design. Keep in mind that the refrigerator, sink, oven and stove are also key components.

SMALL CONDO KITCHEN

This is a fun kitchen to make, and it’s all in the details. The brick wall is what first catches your attention.  The gray cabinets, matching the countertop along with the wine rack and the kitchen signs make this small condo kitchen a warm and inviting place to spend plenty of time.

MODERN KITCHEN DESIGN

The best part of a modern kitchen is feeling free to play with the design. Step out-of-the-box and use at least two tones of cabinets, as in this kitcken the top cabinets are red and the bottom navy blue.  And to add a bit of fun to the household, use a wall as a chalkboard to write inspirational messages. 

COTTAGE KITCHEN

A cottage kitchen inspires nothing more than carefree living and a cozy ambience which your family will love to spend time in. When remodeling your kitchen to a cottage design consider soft colors, wood, a mix of open & closed shelves, farmhouse sinks, wood floors and pendant lighting.

RUSTIC KITCHEN

A rustic kitchen is for those whom truly enjoy cooking and entertaining.  A list of must elements will create your rustic kitchen design: brick, wood backdrops, wood exposed beams, colored appliances, arches in the design, vintage-style cabinets., wood countertops, fireboxes, antique brass or copper faucet., exposed hanging pots.

CLASSIC KITCHEN

No need to define your kitchen with a certain style, a good-old classic kitchen is always warm and inviting. Keep the cabinets simple, neutral colors, granite or quartz, nice tiled backsplash and stainless steel appliances always look great.

Find more kitchen design inspiration in these 5 popular styles.