TL;DR: The kitchen is regarded as the place that "keeps the fire" and gathers wealth for the house. The most important principle is that the stove must not face the main door, must not be under a staircase or face a toilet, and must be kept clean and tidy. In addition, the book Dương Trạch Tam Yếu considers the main door, the master room and the kitchen position to be the three most important factors of the house, so the kitchen must be placed in an auspicious direction and be in harmony with the other two factors; a kitchen in the Can direction (Northwest) is called "hoa thieu thien mon" and should follow the principle of toa hung huong cat, with the stove mouth facing a good direction.
Kitchen Feng Shui: Principles for a Harmonious Layout
What role does the kitchen play in home feng shui?
In East Asian culture, the kitchen is not only a place for preparing food but is also regarded as the "heart" of the home, where vital energy gathers and where the health and prosperity of the whole family are nourished. A kitchen arranged sensibly according to feng shui will generate a positive flow of energy, bringing warmth, happiness and prosperity. Conversely, mistakes in design and arrangement can unintentionally create negative currents of energy that affect the health and fortune of the household.
Unlike the living room or the bedroom, the kitchen has its own distinct rules, rooted in the combination of the Fire element (the stove) and the Water element (the sink, the refrigerator). The clash between these two elements needs to be skilfully reconciled to create harmony and balance in the space.
Summary table of kitchen layout principles according to feng shui in this article.
| Category | Feng shui rule | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Overall position | Away from the main door, ideally at the back of the house | Prevents wealth and food from being swept away |
| Overall position | Not placed at the centre of the house | Avoids the Fire element dominating, which causes imbalance |
| Toilet | Not facing or adjacent to the kitchen | Avoids unclean energy conflicting with the purity of the kitchen |
| Under the staircase | Do not place the stove there | Avoids strong moving energy, which prevents energy from gathering |
| Stove | Backed against a solid wall | Symbolises firmness and stability |
| Stove | Not facing the kitchen door | Avoids loss of focus and loss of wealth |
| Stove and sink, refrigerator | At least 60cm apart | Avoids the Water-Fire clash |
| Golden triangle | Stove, sink and refrigerator with a total distance of no more than 6 metres | Convenient, safe, and creates a good flow of energy |
| Mirrors | Do not hang a mirror reflecting the stove | Avoids doubling the Fire element, which causes imbalance |
| Sharp objects | Store in drawers or on a separate rack | Avoids hostile energy, unease and tension |
| Hygiene | Keep clean, tidy, and repair broken appliances | Avoids negative, stagnant energy |
What are the golden principles for the kitchen's position?
The kitchen's overall position in the house
According to feng shui, the kitchen should be placed away from the main door, ideally at the back of the house. This helps prevent wealth and food (symbols of prosperity) from being "seen" and "swept away" as soon as energy enters the home. If the kitchen is too close to the entrance, the household may find it difficult to accumulate money.
In addition, the kitchen should not be placed at the centre of the house, since this is regarded as the "heart" of the home, where the main energy is concentrated. Placing the stove here would let the Fire element of the stove dominate the other areas, causing imbalance and affecting the health of the family members.
Why is facing the toilet considered taboo?
One of the most important principles is that the kitchen must never face or be adjacent to the toilet. The toilet is a place that holds a great deal of unclean energy, while the kitchen is where food is prepared, symbolising purity and health. This conflict can lead to "taking in" a bad source of energy, negatively affecting the health and fortune of the whole family.
Avoid placing it under the staircase
The space under the staircase is often dark, cramped, and has a strong, unstable flow of energy. Placing the stove here would scatter the energy of the meal, which is not good for gathering energy and accumulating wealth.
What does Dương Trạch Tam Yếu emphasise in the kitchen?
Three factors are ranked by Sái Cửu Phong at the top of the book Dương Trạch Tam Yếu, called the "three auspicious elements of the dwelling": the main door, the mountain master (or the master room), and the position of the stove. Some feng shui texts state that this theory requires the stove to be located in an auspicious direction, and to be closely tied to the main door and the master room; these three factors must be in accord with one another for the house to achieve prosperity.
The "master, door, stove" principle of Dương Trạch Tam Yếu is also restated in some feng shui texts, meaning the destiny of the householder combined with the direction of the gate, the door and the place where the stove is set. Good or bad fortune is largely governed by the mutual generation and mutual overcoming between the householder's destiny and these factors. This book gives an example: in the case of a householder with an East Four Destinies fate, the stove should be located in the palaces belonging to the East Four Dwellings (Kham, Ly, Chan, Ton); the direction of the stove must also be compatible with those palaces in order to avoid conflict.
A noteworthy point is that some feng shui texts state clearly that Dương Trạch Tam Yếu advocates that the stove must be of the same side as the house: a West Dwelling house has the stove placed on the West side, an East Dwelling house has the stove placed on the East side, with the aim of coordinating and creating harmony among the three most important factors of the home. This way of putting it differs from the Bát Trạch Minh Cảnh school, which assesses the good or bad fortune of the Táo Tòa (the stove seat) according to each specific Du Niên position and requires consideration of the whole house diagram including the direction of the door and the direction of the master dwelling.
Is a stove placed in the Qian direction (Northwest) taboo?
Yes. This is a configuration that feng shui texts call "fire burning the heavenly gate". According to some Kinh Dich texts, a kitchen placed in the Northwest room is an extremely dangerous configuration named "fire burning the Thiên Môn", which primarily harms the eldest legitimate grandson or the eldest son, and this room absolutely must not be used. The book cites a number of old texts: if the stove is located in the Northwest direction, the sons in the house will find it hard to preserve their lives; even if they survive, they must endure illness or disability.
The same source also states that a stove placed in the Southwest direction is unfavourable, especially for the mother in the family, and easily causes illness and loss of health for the older woman, while a house with the stove in the Southwest often sees quarrels and poor relations between husband and wife. It should be made clear that this is an interpretation according to one school, not an absolute rule for every case, and that assessing good or bad fortune also depends on the whole house diagram.
What is the "sit in the inauspicious, face the auspicious" principle for the stove?
This means placing the stove so that its body (the seat) lies in an inauspicious direction, while the mouth of the stove (the facing) turns towards an auspicious direction. Some Kinh Dich texts explain this principle through the case of a stove in due West: a stove placed in due West can suppress hostile energy, while the mouth of the stove must face East to take the meaning of Wood generating Fire. In other words, only when the kitchen door faces East is it greatly auspicious.
According to this book, four directions are considered auspicious for the kitchen: East, South, Southeast and due West, of which due West is regarded as the best. If the stove is placed in the East direction, the mouth of the stove should face North or South, which is the second-best arrangement. In the case of a stove located in the East or Southeast direction (the area where the Thanh Long energy transforms and disperses), the mouth of the stove must turn towards the North or the South. The case of the mouth of the stove facing West is called greatly inauspicious by the book, and can lead to fire or loss of wealth.
The book also sets out how to determine the direction of the mouth of the stove: the stove takes the kitchen door as its mouth direction, while if a gas stove is used, the knob that turns on the gas is the direction of the mouth of the stove. A number of old texts are cited: the kitchen door is beneficial when it turns towards the West, the North, the Southwest; best is towards the West, the North; and the mouth of the stove must face vital energy, that is, the East, to be greatly auspicious.
How should the interior of the kitchen be arranged in detail?
Position of the stove (Fire element)
The stove is regarded as the "wealth deity" of the kitchen. Therefore, the position of the stove needs particular attention:
- A solid backing: The stove should be placed against a solid wall, and should not be placed near a window or a place with draughts. This symbolises the firmness and stability of the household's wealth and health.
- Not facing the kitchen door: The stove should not be placed directly facing the kitchen door. This would cause the cook to lose focus and easily encounter health problems, while wealth is easily "lost" to the outside.
- Avoiding the Water-Fire clash: The stove (Fire) needs to be placed at least 60cm away from the sink and the refrigerator (Water). This distance helps avoid the clash between the two elements and creates balance and harmony. If the space is cramped, you can use a wooden object or a green plant placed between them as a "mediating object" to reconcile them.
What is the golden triangle principle?
In modern kitchen design, the "golden triangle" is the area connecting three main points: the stove, the sink and the refrigerator. Arranging these three points to form a triangle with a total distance of no more than 6 metres will make moving and cooking more convenient and safer, while also creating a good flow of energy in the space.
Colours and materials to balance the five elements
Colour plays an important role in balancing the five elements for the kitchen:
- Fire element: Red, orange, pink, purple: suitable for small details such as wall tiles and decorative accessories.
- Earth element: Yellow, brown, cream: a safe choice for kitchen cabinets and countertops, creating a feeling of warmth and solidity.
- Wood element: Green: helps purify the air and brings freshness. You can use green plants or small green objects.
- Metal element: White, grey, metallic sheen: commonly used for electronic appliances, taps and stainless steel accessories. White also helps the kitchen space look clean and bright.
- Water element: Black, navy blue: should be limited as a dominant colour because it easily clashes with the Fire element of the stove.
Light and ventilation
The kitchen needs to be assured of enough natural light and good air circulation. Bright light helps strengthen yang energy, drive away hostile energy and create a feeling of cleanliness and safety when preparing food. Several layers of light should be combined: ceiling lights for overall illumination, and under-cabinet lights to shine directly on the work surface.
What should be avoided and how can it be reconciled?
Are there taboos about mirrors in the kitchen?
Hanging mirrors in the kitchen requires great care. A mirror should not be hung reflecting the stove, because this will "double" the Fire element, causing imbalance and possibly leading to health problems and easily causing anger and irritability within the family.
Sharp objects
Sharp objects such as knives and scissors should be kept in drawers or on a separate rack, and should not be hung out in the open on the wall. These objects create hostile energy, causing a feeling of unease and tension for the user.
Keeping clean and tidy
The most important principle of kitchen feng shui is cleanliness and tidiness. A messy kitchen, with accumulated grease and leftover food, is not only unhygienic but also creates a source of negative energy that affects health and wealth. Make a habit of tidying up after each time you cook, and regularly check for and discard expired food. Broken appliances need to be repaired or replaced in good time, because they symbolise stagnation and a lack of good fortune.
How can inauspicious positions be reconciled?
If your kitchen happens to be in an unfavourable position, there are still simple ways to reconcile it:
- If the stove faces the main door, hang a curtain or place a large green plant between these two areas to slow the flow of energy.
- If the stove faces the toilet, always keep the toilet door closed and hang a convex bagua mirror outside the toilet door to reflect the unclean energy.
- Use a metal wind chime or a feng shui sphere to activate positive energy and calm bad currents of energy in the kitchen space.
