Front Door Feng Shui

The front door is called the “mouth of chi” in Feng Shui because it’s where all good energy, or "chi," enters your home, even if you come in through the garage or the back porch. That’s why it’s important to use a bit of front door Feng Shui to invite wealth, harmony, and love into your home.

We call the front door the "mouth of chi" because it typically faces the street, and this symbolizes a gentle river flowing into a home. Rivers are associated with prosperity and the front door is the conduit for bringing that prosperity into your house. Therefore, when you use your front door, even if only to pick up the newspaper, get the mail, or let in some sunshine, you create an opportunity for wealth to enter your life.

I’m often asked if it’s necessary to paint your front door red to attract wealth. The color red represents the Fire Element and prosperity in Feng Shui, which is why it is often the recommended color for your front door. However, you can paint or stain your front door any color and still attract good energy into your home. The key is to make sure your door is clean, attractive, and in good repair. You can choose a color that makes you feel good when you approach your door. Here are a few options:
• Red for wealth
• Blue for relaxation
• Green for growth
• Brown for stability

The front door sets the tone for the rest of your home, so keep the area around the door clean, well lit, and make sure you have a house number that can be easily seen from the street.

What’s lurking behind your front door is also important. For example, does your front door open completely and easily, or is it blocked because you store things behind it? When your front door does not open fully, your energy is stagnant and opportunities may not “open” for you. Remove objects from behind your front door and watch your future prospects open as well.

Just inside your front door is an excellent place for a water feature like a fountain or fish tank. If possible, place the water toward the right side of the door (that is, facing into your home as you come in the door from the outside) since people naturally move to the right when they enter a door. Water represents the flow of wealth and abundance into your home so it is a good thing to have near your entrance. Whatever kind of water feature you are planning, remember to change the water frequently and keep it fresh. And if you don’t want to take care of a fountain or fish tank, instead hang artwork that shows water near your front door. Just make sure the direction of the water in the image is flowing in, rather than out, of your front door.

If you enter the front door and immediately face a wall, it stops the “chi” or energy from flowing into the rest of your home. To correct the situation, hang artwork on the wall that shows an image that is bi-directional (that is, flows out in both directions). This will direct the chi away from the wall and into your home. Avoid hanging a mirror on the wall because it will reflect the chi out the front door.

There is an old Irish toast that I like to include whenever I write or talk about front door Feng Shui: May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door. This toast shows that all cultures recognize that a smooth path to your front door represents the flow of prosperity and happiness into your life.

Here is my Feng Shui challenge for this week: Open your front door every day. And for the next seven days, try enter your home through the front door and notice the new opportunities that flow into your life as a result.