Understanding the Feng Shui of Staircases
- 01 of 05 The Feng Shui of Stairs in Your House Tyler Stable ford / Getty Images A staircase—no matter in a home or in an office—has a bit of a challenging feng shui reputation. Why would staircases be considered bad feng shui? Well, in simple terms, a staircase has the energy of constant up and down movement, so it usually creates an unsettling quality of energy.However, this is a very general statement, because there are surely better and worse feng shui staircases, all depending on their design, materials, as well as specific location within the feng shui energy map (called bagua) of your home or office. If you are worried about the possible bad feng shui of your particular staircase, It is important to know that you can always apply good feng shui tips and balance the energy of a staircase.Here are the worst feng shui locations for a staircase, as well as some practical feng shui tips to help create better energy.
- 02 of 05 Staircase Location and Design
Find out the 3 worst feng shui locations for a staircase in any floor plan and do your best to avoid these scenarios in your new home or office floor plan. If you have a staircase in one of these areas, be sure to apply good feng shui cures. Stephen Simpson / Getty Images Staircases have a challenging “status” in feng shui—almost as bad as the bathroom, but not quite as bad. To understand the feng shui essence of this challenging reputation, try to feel the energy of a staircase by spending a bit of time close to it. Be completely still and try to sense its energy. You will feel an unsettling quality of energy, a constant up-and-down movement that varies a bit depending on the staircase design and location.
- 03 of 05 In the Center of a Home or Office
- 04 of 05 Staircase Facing the Front Door
- 05 of 05 Improving the Feng Shui Energy of a Staircase A staircase in itself is not bad feng shui. You have to have a staircase in a house with several levels, don’t you? The feng shui concern with staircases is that a staircase typically creates a quality of energy that is unsettling. Depending on the energy flow of a specific home—as determined by its floor plan—this unsettling energy easily spreads out throughout the house.
How to Improve the Feng Shui Energy of a Staircase
A staircase in itself is not bad feng shui. You need a staircase in a house with several levels, but the idea is to make the energy as harmonious as possible.
The so-called bad feng shui reputation of staircases is similar to bathrooms, Both are needed, and both can contribute to good feng shui energy in your home. The feng shui concern with staircases is that a staircase typically creates a quality of unsettling energy, Depending on the energy flow in a specific home (as determined by its floor plan), this unsettling energy can easily spread throughout the house.
The Design and Style of the Staircase
The worst feng shui designs of a staircase are:
- a design with open space between the steps
- a staircase with metal railing and handrails in a wood feng shui element area
Generally, it is best to avoid the spiral-shaped (or corkscrew) design of a staircase in the center of the house, especially if the staircase is made mostly of metal.
Because the feng shui energy of a staircase is an unsettled, up-and-down energy, it is good to focus on creating a more balanced, grounded energy by applying easy feng shui decorating tips.
- Use surrounding walls to display art and photos in visually strong frames. Choose colors and materials according to the feng shui element needed in the specific bagua area.
- Install lighting with a strong presence, this can help ground and calm the energy. You can choose one big chandelier or several visually attractive wall sconces; decide which design suits your home style the best.
- Consider adding beautiful architectural features, be it wainscoting or moldings, they will add character and presence to your staircase area.
- Maximize your landing area space by adding beautiful art or healthy, lush plants in stylish pots. If the bagua area where your staircase is located can benefit from the water feng shui element, sure consider adding a framed mirror or a small fountain.
Stairways do more than just provide a way for us to get from one floor to the other. If placed properly, stairways can help the energy that exists in our home, called chi, to move up and down easily and smoothly.
If stairways are not done well, they can inhibit the proper flow of energy throughout the home. Worse still, poor stairways can create problems or even harm us.
How do your stairs stack up? Here are a few feng shui rules for stairways and the effect they have on you.
1: No open risers.
Stairs should be complete, whole stairs and always have risers (backing). Stairs with open risers lose flow and energy. Correct this by adding backs or risers to the stairs. This is especially problematic for home or apartments on the second floor.
Effect
Second floor does not receive flow. Residents of second floor suffer.
2: Where stairs stop matters.
Stairs should not end at a door, such as the front door, or face a bedroom door. This creates poison arrows or killing chi (double that if a mirror reflects the staircase). If a staircase stops at a bedroom door, it can cause energy to drain away from the residents of the bedroom, causing financial and health-related problems related to low energy, such as low thyroid or depression.
If your stairway terminates at the front door (like the picture at right), keep a bright light lit at the front door or in the foyer where the stairs are. This door should also have a covering over the glass to stop energy from running out of the house.
Or, you can hang a crystal between the stairs and the front door. And if that doesn’t work for you, you can hang a small mirror at the back of the door to reflect the energy back up the stairs. These are all good and effective ways to combat this difficult placement.
Effect:
Loss of wealth, neck and head problems. Difficulties with opportunities for head of household.
3: Staircase shape matters.
Curved staircases are best. Spiral staircases, resembling corkscrews boring into a house, are the worst. They become even worse if they are placed in the center of the house or by the front door.
Effect:
Problems occur in the location of the staircase, i.e., staircase in center creates loss of wealth, and problems for all residents. Staircase in health sector creates problems for health.
4: Split or scissor-style staircases create loss.
Success in a household with a scissor staircase is elusive. This is doubled when a scissor staircase faces the front door (often seen in split level homes). Correct this by blocking the view of the staircase. Or wind a long strand of ivy (real or artificial) around the handrail from the upper stair to the lower stair. Place a plant at the top of the stairs or on the center of the stairs where it curves.
Effect
Scissor styles create loss for patriarch or breadwinner and relationships suffer. Opportunities are lost.
5: Staircase location is important.
Staircases located on the side of the home rather than in the center are preferable. Stairs at the center of the home can cause a rift or split in the family. Block the view to this stair case if possible to reduce its effect.
Effect:
When the staircase in the center of the house there can be a loss of wealth and problems for all residents. If the staircase is at the front it can cause a loss of opportunities, difficulties, energy running away. If the staircase terminates at the front door, it can cause neck stiffness.
Staircase coverings:
Red carpets should never adorn staircases as they resemble blood flowing down. Carpet, wood, or tile are all fine coverings, with wood being the preferred as it offers growing energy that rises.
Staircase foundations:
If your staircase has space underneath it, refrain from placing water there, such as fountains, ponds, aquariums, etc. These can harm children. Ideally, there is a storage room under the stairs. It is good feng shui to use the space under a staircase for storage rather than to leave it empty. If the space is open underneath your stairs, you can place a home altar there.
If you use it as a storeroom, consider placing money boxes, wealth vases, or work-related items there. For instance, Lillian Too wrote that she used her stairway closet as a storage room for her books once she began writing and she’s the most published author in feng shui. She also lines her stairs with bookcases that feature, (what else?), her books. At our house, we have luggage stored under the stairs and have we ever traveled since moving into this house!
Bathrooms under staircases:
Bathrooms located here, and particularly those in the center of the home, drain away even more precious energy and hurt all the residents of the home, not just the children. They also drain wealth away.
Stairway landings:
It’s best if stairs proceed up the wall without a landing in the middle or other type of break. If there is a break, consider lighting the steps or wall of the stairs to create good energy and help the chi move up and down the stairs.
Windows on stairways:
If your stairs point toward a window or end at a window, you’re probably losing energy. Block this window by installing a shutter that can be closed so that the chi does not run out the window!