Worktop Feng Shui: Arranging your perfect kitchen

As a central part of home feng shui, a well laid out kitchen is vital for your well being. This is a practical fact as well as a conceptual one. The heart of your home must be treated with care and attention. When we spend a considerable amount of time in the kitchen; whether cooking, working or socialising, it is crucial that it works seamlessly. Much of your activity will be centred on your worktops, the materials and colours that they are made up of, and how your appliances are laid out on them.

Clutter

The enemy of good feng shui; clutter saps energy from your living space and prevents the area from being used to its optimum. Also, and most importantly, worktop clutter covers up the beautiful granite, marble or quartz that you have chosen as your surface. Be ruthless with your clearout: anything that does not contribute to application or beauty must go!

Appliances

We believe that stone surfaces should be allowed to shine, so it is key to ensure that your cupboard space is sufficient to store rarely used appliances. For those items that need to remain out on your worktop, consider both their appearance and their necessity. If you have chosen a gentle rose quartz, consider complementing these tones in the kettle or toaster that you choose. Is your minimalist granite worktop ideal for a hi-tech coffee machine? Perhaps your classic travertine marble demands appliances in a country style?

Layout

Your movement around the kitchen ultimately depends on the location of the appliances within it. This is not limited to worktop appliances, but your grill, hob, oven and dishwasher. Feng shui is linked to practical considerations after all. Your oven is the heart of the home and is a strong symbol of wealth; but it is also the central utility of a kitchen. So consider centralising it by placing it within a kitchen island. Hot zones and wet zones are a great idea, ensuring that, for example, your dishwasher is close to your sink, or your toaster is close to your kettle. This supplies a good energy flow, but also means that cleaning up or making toast and coffee require less moving around!

Zones and Elements

Zoning your kitchen activity can help to balance feng shui elements. Fire is supplied by your cooking facilities, water by the sink and dishwasher. Metal is present in your appliances and hob, nestled neatly alongside the earth element provided by your stone worktop. Wooden cupboard fronts contrast nicely with the clear sheen of stone, completing the elemental balance in your kitchen.

Fresh Energy

To bring a healthy atmosphere to your kitchen, it is important to feature living plants and herbs, or perhaps a bowl of fresh fruit. This is not only great for feng shui, but will deepen the sensory appeal of your kitchen by providing smells and variety of colour.

Reflective Surfaces

Mirrors or reflective surfaces are a key aspect of feng shui, exaggerating the wealth generating effects of heat, or the health giving properties of fresh adornments to your kitchen. This is why polished marble, quartz or granite are an ideal material for feng shui worktops or kitchen bars. Their reflective properties work in the same way as a mirror, spreading both energy and natural light around the room.

Achieving balance in your kitchen is the aim of any kitchen design, and the most important aspect of this is your worktop. Deciding on your worktop colour and material is only the first step, though. Take time to consider the practical implications of appliance layout and the balance of items on display. Great feng shui, after all, has very simple roots and is based on a sensible flow of activity. Achieve this, and your stone worktops will be displayed at their absolute best.