Feng Shui is a Chinese philosophy most commonly associated with creating a harmonious interior scheme. The literal translation in English is "Wind-Water".
There are a number of principles relating to the positioning of elements to create harmony and balance. This can be applied to buildings from an architectural perspective or the interior, including the positioning of furniture and furnishings within the home.
As this is a Blog about doors, I thought I would investigate the Feng Shui principles related to doors. One of the key rules relates to the alignment of doors. The front and back doors should not be directly aligned. This is to avoid the loss of energy from one door to another. Energy enters the home through one door and should be allowed to circulate and flow throughout the home. If the two doors are positioned directly opposite each other, the energy will enter and quickly leave the house. Energy can be visualised like water, flowing in channels and it is best to allow it to flow freely and fill the home.
So what should you do if you have directly aligned doors? Obviously one option is to invest in renovation works and move one of your doors. However if you have a more modest budget you can place furniture in the area between the two doors. This will force the energy to disperse around the furniture. You will need to be practical and make sure you can easily move around your home. Placing a large table in the middle of your main room may not be appropriate.
Another alternative is to work with colour to alter the balance of your doors. Painting one door in a strong colour can help to create alternative levels of energy at each side of the room. Plants are always a key part of Feng Shui and they can be used to redirect energy within the home