LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Dining Room Feng Shui


Autumn Mums, which symbolize health and gratitude, adorn this Lafayette home entranceway. Photos Michele Duffy

For many of us autumn signals the time of year when we gather together, enjoy the fruits of our labor, and spend time sharing longer meals and celebrations.

As holidays approach, it's time to dust off the dining room table, or dare I say, clear the clutter away from the place that can all too often become the dumping ground for the family, more so than any other area of the home. Proper feng shui in general includes fantastic design and good old common sense, but there are some specific ways to incorporate dining room feng shui into your seasonal adaptations and holiday preparations.

For generations we have connected with the harvest and the natural world, so bringing the crisp fall energy into our homes lifts our mood, and can grace our dining room tables with celebratory energy. The first tenant of good dining room feng shui is to remember the intimacy that dining rooms suggest. I may be channeling my inner Jamie Oliver but I am determined to encourage strongly that people actually use their dining rooms more than twice a year! Try to avoid sitting with your family in front of a TV while you take a meal and encourage the family to sit together each night so that everyone eats consciously, get face time with all family members, and most importantly reconnects with one another. No matter how intense our lives are when we come together in the evening we are practicing good feng shui.

Dining rooms are reserved for our most intimate gatherings with family and friends, and you can reflect the importance of that feng shui principle by including different levels of lighting to create an inviting atmosphere and festive ambiance. Different levels of lighting can include low lights, like candles on the table or sideboards, and a dimmer for the ceiling lighting over the dining room table. Dimmers are very inexpensive to install and allow so much flexibility for various dining experiences, whether for everyday family dining or a romantic dinner for two.

The dining room walls can be painted in a wide variety of lively colors to enhance the celebratory energy we create in our dining rooms, but use color to "activate" the Five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal) of the area of the home where the dining room is located. For example, if the dining room is in the Wealth & Abundance/Prosperity area, which is governed by Wood, a soft green on the walls would simultaneously activate that area of the Bagua (see diagram).

Good feng shui also includes the enhanced symbolism from the visuals surrounding us. Dining room art might include personal photos that make good conversation pieces, or our favorite whimsical artists' work, or a large mirror to magnify the happy energy we feel blessed with.

For the table, many festive fall decorative options include pumpkins in all their shapes, colors and sizes, apples, gourds and yellow Mums, which symbolize health and gratitude. Apples are symbolic of relationship luck and harmonious family energy. Remember, good feng shui includes removing and changing out seasonal decorations immediately when that holiday or season is over, so let the present moment guide your choices.

Arrange the dining room decor to reflect the harvest and remind you of all of the bounty in your life. Use feng shui this autumn to make your home a sanctuary that reflects your highest hopes and dreams. Fall is the perfect time to turn our attention to making the home cozy in preparation for winter. When we consciously align ourselves and are homes with the cycles of nature we find more balance and harmony in our lives.