Family Bonding (feng shui)

Ellen Says: When you stand at your front door looking into your home, what is the sense you have of the left-center portion of your home? Is it clean? Cluttered? Inviting? Is it a space most people in your household avoid? The left-center portion of your home happens to be the family center of the Bagua, or the map of your home, in Feng Shui.

The goal for the family center is to orchestrate your relationship with your current family, ancestry, lineage, and even a more global sense of family such as religious or political icons, if they are important to you. Ultimately, you'll want to bring in elements to the family center of your home that promote harmony, happiness, and family bonding.

Suggested Feng Shui elements for the family center are Wood and Water. Photos of family members in wooden frames, fresh flowers in water, a water fountain, wooden furniture, a bowl of stones in water, or a potted tree are all great items to bring in. Mirrors are associated with water in Feng Shui, so a carefully placed mirror could be beneficial.

Feng Shui color suggestions for your family center include green, and secondary choices would be black and blue. Try to incorporate plants, green art pieces, pillows, upholstery, etc., to bring the green into your family space.

Finally, display homemade family keepsakes like artwork and crafts made by the kids -- drawings, painted stones, pottery, sculptures, woven wreaths, etc., are all wonderful choices.