Give Your Home Flow
When God closes a door he opens a window, because he keeps wanting to let the bloody draft in. Just because your son was born in one doesn’t mean every house has to be a barn you know. I’m not a big believer in ley lines and Feng Shui, but it has been at the top of my mind recently. Even with a cold calculated western analytic eye it’s not hard to see there’s something to the claim that the natural rolls and curves of the earth and the spaces we inhabit collect emotions in some form or another. Spend a couple seconds in a new house and you immediately get a feel for its mood.
Some houses are what I describe as depression nests. My next door neighbour has the same layout as us, but as the house was full of dudes who detested light stuff slowly piled up in front of the windows, it was immediately oppressive, and they complained about the moisture as if they weren’t the masters of their own destiny. The same house, months later was occupied by a couple happy to have landed somewhere to hunker down days before another lockdown was about to go into effect. It was bright, sunny, airy even. They complained about the moisture because it turns out the bathroom didn’t have an extractor fan.
While making decisions about furniture placement and hoard levels are a priority there could be even smaller, manageable things we can do to our homes to make sure they’re a pleasure to live in. According to Kellie Richardson, founder of Kurved by Design something as simple as knowing whether to have an open or closed door can change the mood of the house.
“Doors are not just functional, they are symbolic,” Richardson said.
“In Feng Shui they represent passage and protection in the home. Certain doors should remain open to invite opportunity, while others should be closed to preserve personal energy and harmony.”
Starting with the bathroom Kellie recommends always keeping the door closed.
“If the door is left open, it is believed that prosperity may literally wash away. Closing bathroom and toilet doors helps to symbolically retain abundance within the home,” Richardson said.
“So, where possible, make sure you keep your bathroom and toilet doors closed. This is one reason why you see homes with glass insert doors. The doors stop the money from being washed away while still allowing light into the area.”
Also on a more practical level all that tile makes the place freezing, and besides, the extractor fan isn’t working.
“Laundry doors should also be kept shut as they are another space where energy tends to dissipate,” Richardson said.
“This simple act can reduce feelings of overwhelm and maintain a sense of peace in your main living areas.”
“In the bedroom, a closed door at night supports deeper rest, emotional safety and a stronger sense of personal retreat,” Richardson said.
“Closing the door helps shield the space from noise, light and energy from the rest of the home making it easier to relax and restore.”
Also it keeps the cat out.
For those working from home Richardson said a closed office door can create mental clarity and establish much needed boundaries between work and personal life.
“This visual and energetic separation makes it easier to concentrate and switch off at the end of the day,” Richardson added.
That said not all doors are meant to stay shut. Richardson emphasised that front doors should be opened regularly to welcome fresh energy into the home.
“In Feng Shui the front door is known as the mouth of qi – the place where new opportunities enter your life,’ Richardson said.
“While it does not need to stay open all day it should be clean, inviting and free from obstruction.”
“Feng Shui helps restore balance and peace. When we become more mindful of how our spaces work we begin to shift how we live within them.”
