Home Feng Shui Tips: 10 Rules For Wealth, Positive Energy (2023)

Feng Shui may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when it comes to the newer generation of homeowners, Feng Shui Master Joey Yap feels that they are more receptive to the idea.

Why? Because they want to know that they are making a wise investment on their property purchase.

New homeowners more open to Feng Shui

“Compared to years ago, people are definitely more open to Feng Shui due to exposure through books and the Internet. They are more well-informed about the subject and it’s become the norm for them to know their individual good directions,” he says.

In fact, Joey goes on to point out that homeowners today are more discerning when it comes to the topic as well.

“Nowadays, homeowners are more demanding – not only do they want their home to be part of a quality development, they also want to ensure the intrinsic values are aligned to them energy-wise.

How do they feel when they enter a house? Do they feel good when they are in it? Do they feel at home in it? It wouldn’t matter if the house has a great modern design but the occupants don’t feel comfortable in it, that’s usually a sign that there may be something wrong with its Feng Shui.”

Feng Shui can do little to remedy bad layout and land form

But what happens when there are Feng Shui issues plaguing a home? While many Feng Shui obstacles can be remedied by making changes in the home’s layout, Joey says there are instances where little can be done.

“Sometimes it’s because of structural limitations that cannot be remedied and sometimes it’s because the overall location is too negative. We prefer being transparent and do not take on such cases. If we can’t help, we will let the client know,” he explains.

Feng Shui can help with interior design

Clearly, the one place we have great control over its design is our own homes.

There are a lot of complexities regarding the use of authentic Feng Shui, but there are ways that even a novice practitioner can tweak their homes to promote the movement of good energy, or Qi.

The methods mentioned here are mostly common sense; you’d be surprised just how much of a difference these make to the overall ‘feel’ of your home and how it can turn your life around in surprising ways.

Here, 10 things you can do to improve your house's Feng Shui:

1. Lots of sunlight is good

Natural lighting doesn’t just impart a warm, pleasant ambience – it’s a way to promote positive energy within a home too. Pay attention to the overall design of your home as well as the buildings surrounding it.

Are the homes interior walls or shadows cast from nearby structures preventing sunlight from entering certain parts of your home?

This is a crucial aspect to consider, especially when you are house-hunting. Places that are indefinitely dark are a nest of excessive Yin energy, which can threaten the emotional and psychological wellbeing of a home’s occupants.

By contrasts, well-lit areas of your home will activate positive energy, which in turn provides a host of benefits, such as improved productivity, alertness and high-spirits.

2. Keep entrance clean & tidy

A great porch and house entrance is a clean one, without any overly large obstructions between your main entrance and the environment beyond. Think of your main entrance as a mouth that ‘swallows’ the Qi from the natural world.

If the main entrance cannot absorb this external Qi smoothly, the energy inside your home will be undoubtedly compromised as well.

Ideally, your porch or space directly outside your home’s main entrance should be spacious and well-kept, as this allows the Qi to gather properly before flowing smoothly into your home.

You’d be surprised just how big a difference something as simple as this can make to your home’s overall ‘vibe’.

3. Main door determines your house's Feng Shui

The main door is one of the main features of a home that must be evaluated. It is essentially the Qi mouth of the house from which you can look out of, and whatever you see outside will determine the Feng Shui of your house. 

If there is a tall structure, such as a lamp post within sight of the main door, Piercing Heart Sha may be present and can negatively affect health and careers.

Narrow gaps between houses visible from your main door represent Tian Zhan Sha (Crack in the Sky Sha), which is a highly undesirable external form. Avoid properties with these characteristics altogether.

Another negative feature to avoid is thick foliage over the main door, or shadows cast over the property in general. This can create Yin Sha, which can affect mental health.

4. Is black a bad colour in Feng Shui?

This is one of the biggest misconceptions in Feng Shui. There is no such thing as Feng Shui for colours, although a dark colour such as black may decrease the brightness of the area and make it seem gloomy.

However, as long as there is plenty of natural light, it should not be a problem.

5. Keep your house spacious 

As implied earlier, spaciousness is a core concept within Feng Shui, so just because your porch area is spacious doesn’t mean it’s okay to clutter up the immediate interior after your main entrance.

The ideal situation is to have your main entrance directly lead into a spacious – or at the very least, decluttered – living room area.

Qi needs to collect before being gently dispersed across the rest of your house, and spacious living areas serve that function excellently.

The place that allows Qi to gather in this manner is called an Interior Bright Hall, and is an important consideration to instill good energy across your living space.

Read More: Singaporean Marie Kondo shares 20 small areas to declutter (under 15 mins!)

6. Kitchen represents your health

The kitchen represents life and health. A badly located kitchen usually denotes poor health for the residents - especially the stove.

First and foremost, kitchens serve as a suppresser of bad Qi in Feng Shui, It's the one important location of a home that should ideally be in a ‘bad’ sector of a home.

Conversely, you don’t want the kitchen in a positive sector as a general rule, as the kitchen would then suppress the good energy instead.

The trick here is to ensure that while your kitchen is in a negative sector, your stove – known as the Firemouth in Feng Shui – should be tapping into a favourable direction.

There are some concepts here that require slightly more in-depth Feng Shui knowledge, but you can easily rely on professional Feng Shui consultation to get this aspect of your home right.

Kitchen should always be located by the sides

The kitchen should always located by the sides of the house. A badly placed kitchen in the center, or Heavenly Heart, of the home symbolises that the property will be in constant heartburn, creating instability and long-term health problems. 

Are kitchen islands good for Feng Shui?

Kitchen islands are common in a number of spacious modern kitchens today.

Installing a stove there – though it may look fancy as what you see in cooking shows – is an absolute no-no in Feng Shui.

A kitchen island with a stove is often suspended in the middle of the kitchen with no solid support. It represents a heart exposed, unprotected. Ideally, the stove should be installed against solid walls.

Stove shouldn't face any doors

The placement of the stove is crucial. A wrongly placed stove may activate negative Qi that can affect the entire household, and brings about health issues related to the digestive system, emotions and temperaments to its occupants.

Do not put the stove in front of any door in the kitchen. This will create a mini T-Junction and the Qi will rush through the door, hitting the stove and imbuing the cooked food with Sha Qi (killing energy).

The stove is a Yin feature, which complements the Yang element of the main house door. The key word here is “stability”, as in the stove should not be exposed to Qi coming from all directions. Therefore, it's stoves are best backed up against a solid wall.

The same concept applies to portable stoves as well.

Stove shouldn't face the sink

The stove should not be placed directly across from the sink, causing a clash in fire and water elements. When water and fire clashes, it causes disharmony in the household.

However, this only applies if the stove is squarely facing the sink.

Otherwise, if they're slightly apart, it is fine.

Wherever possible, ensure the sink and the stove are not placed side-by-side with each other. There should at least be a two-foot gap in between if such is the case.

Similarly, the stove should not be aligned with the kitchen door as well.

What is the best Feng Shui style for their stove? Ensure there is a spacious, bright living area in front of it.

Where to place stove exhaust fans?

Another common feature in most modern kitchens today is the kitchen exhaust fan, which sits overhead the stove.

Although it serves the purpose of capturing smoke and oil mist in the air when you cook, it is not ideal in Feng Shui. If you definitely need an overhead exhaust fan for your kitchen, consider reinstalling it to the side instead.

Read Also: Kitchen design tips for good Feng Shui at home

7. Bedroom: Have lesser Yang energy

Everything within your home has a polarity – it’s either Yin or Yang. The activities we engage in are also associated with this polarity.

Understanding this is important, because as a general rule, the polarity of a particular area in your house should match the polarity of the activity you primarily use that space for.

As an example, your bedroom should not be infused with too many Yang items – aquariums are an important type of Yang feature, but typically unsuitable for places of rest.

That’s because sleep and rest are considered Yin activities – doing so in a place with too much Yang energy will make it hard to relax and calm down.

Best Feng Shui Bedroom Layout?

Sleeping impacts our vitality and as such the bedrooms should be located in suitable sectors, based on the formulas in Eight Mansions, Xuan Kong Da Gua, or Flying Stars.

Rooms that are round, triangular or oddly shaped with sharp corners should be avoided. Instead, the bedroom should be in the shape of a square as it can help cut off negative Qi that impacts the room.

Mirrors in the bedroom brings bad Feng Shui?

Mirrors in the bedroom are okay as long as it does not reflect light directly towards the bed. This will cause an imbalance in yin and yang. 

8. Drains outside your door is bad

Look outside the main door of your property and observe the location of the drain.

A drain that's running parallel to the main door is known as Cutting Feet Water. This can adversely block Qi from entering the property, cutting into the vitality of the house.

9. Feng Shui Flowing Water Features

Water flowing or located on the left side of the property is considered a desirable formation, both for the wealth and prosperity of the house.

However, you have to ensure that the water is clean, since that denotes vibrancy and vitality. Qi cannot be properly harnessed in dirty water, and these areas will invite vermin, bad health and insects. 

Yin and Yang should be at the back and front of the house, respectively - also why having water at the back of the house is considered bad Feng Shui.

If you have some river or stream running behind your house, don't fret yet. There are exceptions. "If there is sufficient distance between the water formation and the house, or it is located in a suitable location based on the San Yuan Xuan Kong principle with a mountain nearby, you do not have to worry," says Joey.

Want to ensure prosperity and financial security?

Keep a lookout for regions with Sentimental Water, which is water that embraces your property without crossing directly in front of it or through it. 

Good Feng Shui Water Land Forms

Another highly auspicious water formation is the Nine Curve Water (九曲水), which meanders into nine curves as it leads towards your home. It denotes wealth Qi that compounds and collects over the years.

Though natural water formations are the best form of Water Feng Shui, roads are a viable (though not as efficient) alternative in the urban landscape we live in today. 

A fast highway past your house is considered Merciless Water (無情水), and a T-junction pointing directly towards your main door generates Sha Qi (煞氣). 

10. Roads facing your house

Watch out for curves on the roads leading to your property. Sharp curves are called Bow Formations and will cut the flow of Qi into a property.

Avoid properties that have narrow or wide alleys opposite them as they can cause either a Pulling Nose Qi problem or Sky Crack Sha problem, which are both difficult to correct once their negative effects have been applied.

Stay away from properties situated at T-Junctions. However, if a T-Junction just misses the property by a margin, you can usually counter its negativity by planting trees or plants to act as barriers to the bad Qi.

In conclusion, be prepared for the fact that almost any house will have a Feng Shui problem or two. Not every issue would be severe, but not every one of these problems can be fixed by a consultant either.

The trick is to find a home without many problems and work from there. 

Parts of this article first appeared on Her World Singapore, ST Property, edited by Home & Decor.