Candace Czarny

Kitchens are the center of home life. This is where we laugh, celebrate, and nourish our souls with friends and family. Generations of families have taken substance, done homework, and had important conversations around the kitchen table. For these reasons, if for none other, we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to create an atmosphere of warmth and harmonious balance in our kitchens. One of the easiest ways to achieve this harmony is by using Feng Shui and kitchen design to enjoy a space intended for the preparation and eating of food with loved ones.

In the optimum home environment the kitchen is located in an area that is not clearly visible from the front door. If the kitchen is seen from the front door the occupants of the home may develop problems with digestion or even eating disorders. Guests to the home may feel an instinctive need to eat and immediately leave. Fortunately there are remedies for this situation. After all, there is no way a person can predetermine the lay out of a home unless they design and build it themselves. Installing a folding door or curtains in front of the kitchen door is an effective way to fix the situation. The busy activity of the kitchen won’t distract from the positive flow of chi. With Feng Shui and kitchen design, there aren’t any problems that can’t be corrected.

Once any kitchen placement issues have been corrected, it’s time to study the lay out of the kitchen. In Feng Shui and kitchen décor the room must be kept clear of debris and spotlessly clean. Clutter is not useful in generating good energy. Take the time to clear out and arrange the counters, cabinets, and open surfaces of the kitchen. Be sure to keep an eye out for the problem areas, like the top of the fridge and table tops. Enlist the help of the other occupants of the home to help prepare the kitchen for Feng Shui practices.

Appliance placement is particularly imperative in combining Feng Shui and the kitchen. The person cooking absolutely must be in a position of prominence in the room. Ideally the stove will be placed in such a way as to allow the cook to clearly see all of the kitchen. If the stove must be placed facing a wall, there are ways that you can remedy the situation. The simplest and fastest way to do this is to place a mirror or other reflective surface on the wall. In this manner, the cook will be able to see the entire kitchen in the reflection. The larger the reflective object is the more potent the correction will be in the room. The stove is also a symbol of health and wealth. Obviously the health aspect comes into play through the nourishment the appliance provides the family. In terms of wealth, it is related to the fire element. Actually, a good cook who is practiced in the Feng Shui tradition will be sure to use all of the burners equally. This ensures that the occupants of the house will receive money from multiple sources. Die hard Feng Shui practitioners avoid using a microwave oven to prepare their food, as this can lead to an unsettled frame of mind. After all, the work you are putting into your new Feng Shui kitchen is intended to create an environment rich in good chi and balance.

The stove should hold a specific place in relation the other appliances of the kitchen. Like elements should be grouped together. For example, the water elements of the refrigerator, dishwasher, and sink should be situated together in the kitchen space. The fire elements of the stove and microwave oven need to be placed together for optimum spacing. Feng Shui and kitchen design is fortunately one of the most common sense oriented ways of creating a space. You will find with the new look comes better usage of this vital space. Think of it as creating a warm, positive environment for your family and designing a space that is ideal for creative, efficient cooking. Feng Shui is a win-win situation.

When you consider that Feng Shui is such an ancient philosophy, it is clear how long kitchens have served as the center of family life. Imagine how much more memorable and meaningful family celebrations will be when held in a Feng Shui kitchen. The positive flow of health, wealth, and good chi can’t help but add a feeling of unity and well being to all that are fortunate enough to enter your personal space. The Feng Shui and kitchen design are relatively easy to accomplish. It is a matter of choosing the correct kitchen lay out and color designs. Before you know it, your kitchen will be the most restful, welcoming area of your home.

Author's Bio: 

Candace Czarny “Award Winning” Interior Designer, Subtle Energy Expert and author of the best selling “20 Minute Feng Shui” is launching her newest work “The Master’s Secret Key” at www.TheMastersSecretKey.com/tmsk , a short work design to inspire the reader to self-empowerment.
She has been inspiring and educating people on line with her web site www.ArtOfPlacement.com since 1994. Her site is constantly ranked in the top 10 of Google and Yahoo and she has developed a loyal following.
Her passion is “creating a paradigm evolution, where people believe that creating their environment is the key to creating the life they desire.”
Candace Czarny is the president of Wind & Water, Inc. She has more than 30 years’ experience in interior and “Green” design, facilities and project management and Feng Shui.
Candace has practiced interior design since 1973 and received her Degree in Interior Design from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech) in 1977. She is a NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer and a Professional Member of ASID. She is a Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). She is responsible for the Design of the First “Gold” LEED Certified building in the State of Arizona. She has also received the Design in Excellence Award from the Arizona chapter of ASID and the Best of the Best Award in Sedona.
In addition to her scholastic studies, Candace apprenticed with Feng Shui Master and Shaman Cuneo for 5 years. Her studies consisted of field work and daily training in the oral tradition. Her training comes from a global perspective of esoteric sciences and incorporates: Landform and Black Sect Feng Shui, Hawaiian Huna, European Geomancy, Native American and South American Energy Sciences. She teaches practical, accurate, in-depth energy principles with creative and modern applications. Her clients have testified of dramatic results using Candace’s advice from romance to business.