INSIDE YOUR HOME : STAIRS

The main situation to avoid is stairs descending into the hall or that face the outer door directly leading to a loss of chi, which suggests a loss of money. It will result in the rooms on the upper floor becoming depleted. In an apartment block, the main entrance facing the staircase will bring bad fortune to everyone in the building. Stairs that curve are good when it comes to the flow of chi and if the stairs curve away from the door towards the foot then this will prevent the loss of chi.

According to the Feng Shui principles, the staircase should not be located in the centre of the house because the movement of chi to the upper floor is a destabilizing force and heart of the house needs to be steady and to accumulate chi. A 24-hour light above the stairwell can help stabilize the chi in this case. A staircase facing a toilet signifies a loss of fortune, especially if the toilet is at the bottom of the stairs, as chi tends to flow downwards. 

A spiral staircase is not necessarily the very good thing that it might at first seem to be. In this instance, the chi is likely to either move too quickly or be lost through the open risers in the stairs. Any staircase which have open risers will allow chi to escape. An additional potential problem with a spiral staircase is that ot can be dangerous and generate sha chi. If you place mirror to deflect negative energy or to slow down fast flowing energy make sure they do not ‘cut the head off’ anyone in your household.

Many Feng Shui practitioners also believe the number of steps – leading either to your front door or to an upper level of the house – can affect your fortune. The simplest way of working out whether you have the lucky number of stairs is to climb them, counting as you go. A landing counts as one step, and you should count continuously to the top. The 4-step formula dictates that every third and fourth step in a 4-step cycle is bad. That means the third, fourth, seventh and eighth steps are bad. The remedy for an unlucky number of steps is equally simple. If you are one step off a lucky number, simply place a mat at the bottom of the staircase and this will act as an extra step. If you are 2 steps off a lucky number, place another mat at the top of the stairs or on a landing. That mats should not slip or wrinkle on the carpet underneath it goes without saying; otherwise they could prove very unlucky indeed!

Advice for entrance hall and stair:

• A mirror should not be placed opposite the outside door
• A very narrow corridor is susceptible to sha chi. To prevent the rapid flow of chi, mirrors, wind chimes or ribbons should be used
• It is not ideal to have front door opening into a small hall from which a staircase ascends, as it leads to a loss of chi, suggesting also a loss of money
• Stairs that curve gently or turn at right angles at 2 landings benefit the flow of chi
• Stairs with open risers lead to a depletion in fortune
• A spiral staircase is inadvisable as it can generate sha chi