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Feng shui your front door
Paul R Taylor17/ 3/2006
First impressions count, so the way into your house tells visitors a lot about you. Paul R Taylor meets a specialist who tries to bring harmony to your home.
A FABULOUS front door is one of the most important ways to
create the right impression about your home, both to visitors and
potential buyers.
There are thousands of different colours, designs, knobs, knockers,
bells and handles on the market, but there is a different way of
making the most of the entrance without spending hours traipsing
around the local DIY store.
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and
arrangement of space to attempt to achieve harmony with the
environment.
The discipline has its origins in Taoism and has been practised for
more than 3,000 years. It attempts to achieve the optimum flow of
energy, or Chi, through a space and has become the latest tool for
celebrities trying to achieve happiness. Posh and Becks recently
splashed out £350,000 on a feng shui makeover of Casa Beckham in
Spain.
But making your home and front door conform to feng shui principles
needn't cost the earth and can be as simple as rearranging door
furniture and giving it a lick of paint.
Elizabeth Wells is feng shui expert for Timperley's Harmonious
Solutions.
"The first impression created by your front door accounts for more
than 50 per cent of the entire experience of the place," she
said.
"You are creating an image of your lifestyle. More importantly,
front doors affect the movement of energy into and out of the
building and the view outwards is also very important. Whatever you
can see will have a great influence on your life as this reflects
the type of energy entering your home.
"There are some simple tips everyone should follow to optimise this
flow of energy.
"Firstly, front doors should be used as much as possible. People
shouldn't enter their house through the garage door, for example.
Using the front door encourages a greater flow of energy into the
home, bringing with it enormous benefits for your health, wealth
and happiness.
"The door should be secure, clean and well maintained - not
sticking or with paint peeling off it. Houses where doors stick
cause loads of frustrations and creaky hinges and doors lead to
insecurity.
"They should have plants on either side of the entrance, but make
sure they are in proportion. Plants are both welcoming and bring
individuality to the property. Never leave dead plants in this
position.
"It is important to have the name and number of the house clearly
visible by day and night. This attracts the right type of energy
into the property.
"Doorbells and knockers should be in good working order. This
maintains a good relationship with visitors as shouting, car horns,
whistling etc, greatly reduces the energy of the area.
"Front doors should face the front of the property. If placed on
the side of the house, energy then has to turn a corner in order to
enter.
"I'd advise people not to have restrictions in front of their door,
such as bins, toys or rubbish. The entry should invite the world
into your home and should be totally clear as obstructions will
inhibit the flow if energy, mirroring our approach to life.
"The doors should also be larger than the person living in the
house. If you have to bend to enter you will feel suffocated and
claustrophobic before you have even entered your home.
"They should be personalised with your choice of letterbox,
knocker, bell etc, as this gives a warm welcome to you and your
guests. Keep brass fittings well polished.
"Their colour should reflect the direction they face, with
different colours representing different points of the compass.
This is so that you can benefit as much as possible from the energy
of that particular direction.
"And finally, they should always be lit on the outside and fittings
should be clean. You don't want to hide your light, and lights will
make your home more secure."
IF feng shui isn't your thing, there's always the DIY
store.
There are thousands of different types of door available, with
B&Q alone stocking more than 400 - ranging in price from about
£90 to more than £500.
Alternatively, if your budget will stretch to it, you can have your
door handcrafted or pick one up from an architectural reclamation
or salvage yard.
But while style is important, many homeowners have different
priorities.
Hannah Morgan, door buyer for B&Q, said: "At the moment the
biggest trend seems to be security.
"People are becoming more security conscious so we're seeing an
increase in the sales of UPVC or very solid wooden doors.
"The most expensive front door we sell is about £500, but people
see them as a way of protecting their family and so regard it as
something worth spending money on.
"Our range is on the whole quite classic-looking, but generally
there's a choice to make between UPVC or wooden, with varying
levels of solidity and security.
"We also have a range of door furniture to choose from with
polished chrome and satin nickel the most popular finishes, but the
UPVC doors come with standard handles already fitted."
Kieren Anderson, of The Handmade Door Company, said: "Most
people want to return to the period detail of their homes, so
Victorian and Georgian front doors have never been more
popular.
"Stained glass panels are particularly popular as a decorative
feature. The front door is the main attraction on the front of your
house, and it's vital to get it right."
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