Do's and Don'ts of Building a Staircase, According to Feng Shui
While it isn’t as important as the bedroom and the entryway, the stairway has a significant purpose in feng shui. As it connects spaces, the staircase allows energy (otherwise known as chi) to flow to the different levels of the home.
Here are a few do's and don'ts to make sure that you are circulating good chi in your space:
STAIRWAY DESIGN
Do: Make sure the stairway is well-lit
Aside from safety purposes, installing a bright overhead light will help attract chi energy to the upper floor.
Do: Liven up the staircase landing
Another way to direct positive chi to the upper level is to decorate the staircase landing. Since the center of the home is associated with the earth element, opt for "rectangular paintings, shapes and images of landscapes represent Earth, as well as plants and any object having green, brown, yellow or gold tones," advises Huffpost.
Do: Avoid open risers
When stairs have spaces in between the steps, it loses chi energy, keeping it from reaching the other levels of the home.
Do: Make sure the stairs are wide enough for two people
Do: Opt for staircases that have a gentle curve
The general movement of chi is sinuous. Hence, having a curved staircase will allow positive energy to flow smoothly to the different levels of your home.
How many steps should a staircase have for good luck?
In a book titled The Magic of Feng Shui, author and Feng Shui consultant Er. Rameshwar Prasad notes that the good number of steps to have are 1, 2, 5, 10, 13, 14, 17, and 22. “Traditionally, the steps are counted in a 3-steps or 4-steps pattern,” he explains. “The 3-steps pattern is the gold - silver - death cycle; while the 4-steps is the good luck - prosperity - bad luck - failure cycle. The last step should be either gold or Silver or good luck or prosperity.”
STAIRWAY LOCATION
Don't: Situate your bathroom underneath the stairs
In feng shui, it is believed that having a bathroom underneath the stairs might flush away wealth. But if you can’t work on a major renovation, you can combat the bad feng shui by keeping the bathroom door closed at all times and “decorating the bathroom in colors appropriate for its sector,” recommends The Spruce. (Check out this guide on how to identify the good and bad sectors of your space.)
Similarly, it’s considered bad feng shui to have a toilet facing the stairway. To remedy this, you can place some potted plants at the staircase landing! Just make sure to avoid plants with sharp or spiky leaves as they can block the healthy flow of chi.
Do: Use the space under the stairs for storage!
Don't: Build a staircase that faces the main door
Also known as the "mouth of the chi energy", the main door plays a big role in attracting positive energy into a space. However, when a staircase is facing the front door, good chi will be forced to quickly move up the stairs, bypassing the entire ground floor.
Decorating the entryway with artworks, plants, and mirrors will allow the feng shui energy to settle in before circulating to the rest of the home. (Click here for a guide on how to achieve good feng shui in your home’s entrance.)
Don't: Build a staircase in the center of your home
In feng shui, the center of your home is the heart of your home. As much as possible, it’s best to keep this area open and clear to allow chi to move freely to the different parts of your abode. So if you're building a home, make sure the staircase isn't situated in the middle of the house.
"The condition of the center of your home’s bagua affects your health," explains Open Spaces Feng Shui. "If there is an impediment to good Chi flow in the Center of your home such as a staircase, bathroom or other busy space, create as much grounded energy." You can achieve this by adding earth elements to the area (think: ceramics, stones, and crystals.)
Sources: Love to Know, NST, The Spruce, Open Spaces Feng Shui, The Magic of Feng Shui
