One of the first places I survey when I begin a new project is the interior and exterior entryway of a location. The energy of the entryway tells me a lot about its occupants; how their space feels (which is often a reflection of how they are feeling). I can sense if the client is in overwhelm mode, nurturing or compassionate, if they have pride in their space, if they are welcoming, etc.
In Feng Shui, the entrance of any space is called the “The Mouth of the Chi”, or where the energy begins. The entryway sets the tone of the energy for the remainder of the home or business space. Sadly, many folks rarely use their front door and often enter through the attached-garage door, or through a back door making the front entry an afterthought. Many years ago I rented my first apartment in a four-plex where the parking garage was located in the back of the building. My apartment had a convenient side entrance off the garage that I used almost exclusively. One day I received a knock on my front door. It was my neighbor who pointed down at some wilted flowers I received from an unsolicited admirer–the flowers had been sitting on my doorstep for several days! Lesson learned.
Below are some considerations when surveying your own entryway to enhance the energy, or chi. Let’s begin with the exterior entryway:
- Regularly sweep away dust, cobwebs, dead foliage, etc. and don’t forget to look up and clean your light fixture,
- Keep windows clean and shiny,
- Sweep the front steps and the porch area,
- Paint your front door a vibrant color that makes you feel good,
- Remove clutter and avoid allowing the entryway to serve as a dumping ground for items that have no home,
- Place one or two large pots of colorful flowers (if your climate allows) wide on either side of your front entryway and keep them maintained,
- Make certain exterior light bulbs are working, replace immediately if burned out.
Interior entryway:
- Keep this area well lit.
- Utilize a wall mirror if possible to “expand” your welcome.
- Place an appropriately-scaled floor rug to ground the space in the entry.
- Avoid having many small items such as family photos in the entryway. Small items create too much clutter. The human eye needs something to rest upon. Instead place fewer and larger items which will have a calming effect.
- Create a welcoming impact by painting one of the entryway walls a contrasting color.
- Have a system for hanging up coats, determining where shoes, hats and gloves or mittens go.
- Give your entryway the gut check and ask: “does my entry feel like a warm embrace every time I enter the space”? If so, you’re all set. If not, you’ve got some work to do.
Still stuck? Try going online using your browser to search for “home entryway images”. You’ll get some great ideas that you can easily implement.
With Harmony,
Bethany