LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Feng Shui


Meandering paths and front entrance doors flanked with plants are excellent Feng Shui. Photo provided

We all know intuitively that the first impression a home makes, specifically the front entrance, is important for setting the tone for the entire home. Subliminal, hidden and unintended consequences can result from the myriad choices we make, so what's the skinny on preferred doors and why? And what other components enter into creating an entryway that's ready to receive blessings for everyone in the household?

Creating balance means we include all Five Elements (water, wood, fire, earth, metal) and if we do so skillfully with a professional, then we have yin-yang balance. While it's true that we always want all Five Elements to be present for balance, it can vary by room. In the master bedroom, for example, we usually want it to be quieter, more Zen-like or on the yin side so we can sleep, rest and connect with intimacy. The front entranceway has a completely opposite energetic or Qi goal from the master bedroom. Front entrance Qi is active, lively and yang, and it's important that there is a lot of strong yang Qi and lots of activity and movement there. The front entrance is also known as the first pillar or "Power Area" and is where we first place the Feng Shui Bagua map, according to the Ancient Bon Buddhist Feng Shui lineage I practice. Often called the "Mouth of Qi" the front entrance must abundantly amplify nourishing energy to support the energetic needs of whole structure.

Not only is the front entryway door important, but Feng Shui includes the journey leading up to the front door. If on the way to your home the energy meanders along curvy paths that gives the Qi a chance to gather there, and ideally, there should be lots of tidy colorful garden blooms and absolutely no garbage, clutter, or debris anywhere around the front entranceway. That first impression begins outside your home so try to create a front yard that is inviting and welcoming.

In terms of Feng Shui, the actual front door first must provide safety, privacy and a protective barrier from the outside world. Feng Shui always prefers solid wood doors for this reason. There are exceptions, for example, if your front entranceway has very little natural light we approve of glass panels but only along the very top of the front door. If the door is designed with lots of glass panels it can easily be broken and provide a way in for uninvited guests. As for the color of the door, from a Feng Shui perspective there are several reasons why red is often chosen. First, red serves a dual function of protecting the home but also red attracts Qi toward the home and strongly activates the front entrance door with red since it is a yang color.

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My current favorite red paint color is a Benjamin Moore "Poppy" since it is cheerfully bright with zero purple in it. Yellow is also a popular color and Hawthorne Yellow, also by Benjamin Moore, is not such a blinding yellow; it's softer and also pops with many different homes.

There is also a huge trend I am sure you have seen around town to include more wood and wood stained front entrances but also tying that in architecturally to small siding areas, garage doors and also decks and porches.

Benjamin Moore's Arborcoat wood stain has many color and stain options, including semitranslucent all the way up to full saturation coverage. Remember, the trick is to use "brush outs" of your color choices and view them at different times of the day so you see and rate each color in vastly varied light.

Here are some other Mandala options to create a front entrance that welcomes good fortune, happiness, vitality and health to your home:

1) Make sure house numbers are hung horizontally and are visible from street.

2) The journey to your door should be clean and include colorful fragrant blooms.

3) The front entrance area should not have cobwebs and ideally is tidy.

4) If there is room, flank your front door with colorful pots filled with flowers.

5) A fresh welcome doormat should match the size of your front door.

6) Lighting is key so always change light bulbs that burn out and clean fixtures.

7) Place a water feature that bubbles up as close to the front door as possible.

8) Consider painting your front door a bright color or re-staining, if wood.

Implementing these easy and accessible front entrance tips will allow you to welcome fully and completely the life force Qi to your home and your life.

Happy spring!