| Along with all the other rooms in the house, there | | | | as vulnerable or prone to accidents. I can see |
| has certainly been a lot written about what kind | | | | some truth to this, although I have never in all my |
| of Feng Shui impact the kitchen has on its | | | | years of practice heard a client blame a kitchen |
| occupants. Many myths abound and I have had | | | | accident on their having their back to the |
| clients needlessly worry about features in their | | | | entrance. (And since mothers supposedly "have |
| kitchens, some of which will be addressed in this | | | | eyes on the backs of their heads," this should be |
| issue. | | | | a mute point for a large percentage of the people |
| Firstly, the residential kitchen is not normally | | | | who cook in the family kitchen.o Kitchen in the |
| looked upon as the most important room in a | | | | center of the house is bad luck: This seems to |
| house. In fact, with the way we live today, fewer | | | | simply be a poor design and possibly more prone |
| people actually cook on a daily basis. There may | | | | to a fire. It is more practical for a kitchen to be |
| even be an ironic parallel between how high-tech | | | | on the side of a house where there can be a |
| and ostentatious a kitchen is, with how little | | | | window for direct escape of cooking odors, |
| cooking actually take place. | | | | excessive heat or steam.o Bathrooms next to |
| And yet it is one of the more important rooms in | | | | kitchens are bad Feng Shui: This concept is hinged |
| the house which could make or break a real | | | | on the notion that there could be a sanitation |
| estate deal. Here are some of the more popular | | | | problem by having "elimination" energies in close |
| kitchen myths: (READ: not true)o A mirror behind | | | | proximity to a food prep location. Just remember |
| a stove brings prosperity: I have walked into | | | | that you can walk across a whole house with |
| kitchens where clients had propped up make-ups | | | | unwashed hands and end up in the kitchen also. |
| mirrors behind their stove burners or had placed | | | | Some of my consistent findings, using traditional |
| one large mirror propped up or against the wall | | | | Feng Shui, is that when a kitchen ends up being in |
| because they had heard that this brings in more | | | | the most positive area of the house, the client |
| money. Aside from the fact that grease and food | | | | often reports that this is in fact the favorite |
| will splatter onto the mirror and look bad, I don't | | | | hang-out place for occupants as well as guests. |
| recommend this practice. This notion has | | | | Conversely, when a kitchen is located in a |
| something to do with creating the illusion that the | | | | particularly accident-prone area of the house, |
| more food you are cooking, the wealthier you | | | | there are more injuries and/or appliances break |
| are. Nice concept, but not very effective. In fact, | | | | down a lot. |
| if you really want to be spiritually rich, it would | | | | Another consistent finding: when the kitchen |
| probably be better to pack an extra lunch each | | | | resides in the Northwest quadrant of the house |
| day and then give it away to the first homeless | | | | (NW=metal and cooking produces fire), the result |
| person you see each day.o A sink placed right | | | | of fire symbolically melting metal can create a |
| near a stove, or a refrigerator right near a stove, | | | | home where the children are unruly and do not |
| is bad Feng Shui: this is very intangible. And I | | | | listen to the father. (NW is associated with the |
| would not argue with a kitchen designer about the | | | | father figure.) There is no physical explanation for |
| most functional placement of appliances. The Feng | | | | this, but the feedback supports this association. |
| Shui myth is that hot and cold (stove | | | | A commercial kitchen in a restaurant or catering |
| refrigerator) should not be placed side by side | | | | company should be in a positive location within the |
| because it would be a conflict of the yin-yang | | | | building because the success of the business is |
| energies. | | | | based so much on the food. |
| None of the authors who claim this is a problem | | | | Finally, we are all psychological and programmable |
| have given information about what the | | | | beings. When people enter the house from the |
| measurable consequences are when stove and | | | | kitchen, there seems to be a universal agreement |
| fridge are next to each other. Not worth worrying | | | | that the occupants will feel like eating whether |
| about.o When a person stands at a stove and | | | | they are hungry or not. |
| cooks with their back to the entrance, this is seen | | | | |