In today's homes, the design of the kitchen is no longer just a simple consideration of functionality. Aesthetics factors such as individuality and theme has become important as well, sometimes even as the primary factors in kitchen design.

It is common to hear people saying that the Fengshui of the kitchen is very important, and that it represents health and wealth of the occupants. To say the design of the kitchen plays a part in influencing the health is indeed correct. But to say it also represents wealth shows a wrong understanding by them.

Fengshui of the kitchen, correct to say, influences the health, relationship and the household financial/ savings stability (财库的稳定), but not wealth (财). One may be rich but household financial/ savings may not be stable. Vice versa, one may be poor but household financial/ savings may be stable. It is important to understand that whether or not the Fengshui of a property brings wealth is not assessed from the kitchen.

Nowadays, open concept kitchen design, such as these two shown below, is getting popular. With regards to household financial/ savings stability, do you think both are likely to have household financial/ savings instability due to the open concept design? Of course not. The design of the second kitchen, or island design, is the one likely to have household financial/ savings instability, considering the stove position alone.

Open concept 1:

Open concept 2:

What about a typical “door enclosed” kitchen design such as the one below, compared with the first open concept design? Though both may benefit from household financial/ savings stability, there are two key differences.

First, regardless whether or not the kitchen is an open concept design, differences in the positioning of the stove, sink, refrigerator, oven, cabinets etc, will result in different influences on the health, relationship and household financial/ savings stability. What are the considerations for these items?

For example, it is widely said that the stove and sink should not be placed directly facing each other or side by side to each other, being of Water and Fire element. Which do you think is correct? The stove and sink should not be placed directly facing each other, or should not be placed side by side to each other, or both is correct? Yet again, do you know there is a difference whether the sink is on the left or right of the stove?

Some say the inappropriate positioning of the stove and sink results in health issues, whereas some say it results in relationship issues. There are also others who say it results in wealth issues. Again, which do you think is correct? The inappropriate positioning of the stove and sink results in health issues, relationship issues, or wealth issues or all the above? What about stove and refrigerator? Is it the same as the stove and sink situation?

Second, compared with the typical design, the open concept kitchen design may “lose one potential usage for Fengshui purposes”. What do you think is this potential usage which an open concept kitchen design may not be able to have? And under what circumstances and conditions can such lost in the potential usage be acceptable?

What about those kitchens that have a back door such as below? What are the considerations for those?

What about those kitchens where it is considered “enclosed” but not fitted with any entrance door such as the one below? What about those where the washing machine are placed inside the kitchen? What are the considerations for those?

Though from the above it may seem complex when it comes to the Fengshui of the kitchen, the crucial factors actually are only but a few, yet often misunderstood and overlooked by many.