The front door of your dwelling (true for both houses and apartments) is what is known as the "Mouth of Chi". This is the portal through which ALL fresh energy enters your space, both good (Sheng Chi) and bad (Sha Chi). So in order to attract the most auspicious energy, you must have a attractive, easily functional front door.
OPENING OF THE FRONT DOOR
The door should ALWAYS open inward; this is welcoming, pulling in of chi, rather than pushing it away. A front door that opens outward can spoil the energy of the entire home.
The door should swing open easily and into an open space. In New York apartments, we often find overstuffed entrance spaces, cluttered with all of the family's dropped possessions and strollers, backpacks, etc. When your door does not open fully, your energy is "stagnant" and can block your ability to "see" opportunities that may just float right on past. In addition to clearing out the clutter to it's proper room in the home, it can help to hang a brightly color flag or wind chime to attract good energy when the door opens. Also, adding a mirror to the side (not directly opposite) of the door can catch energy and bring it into your space, as well.
DOORS IN ALIGNMENT
A basic rule of thumb is that it is not a good idea to have doors in alignment with your front door; something you often see in houses. What happens is that the energy flows into your front doors and speeds right across the space and out the back door or window without staying to deposit and nourish the space. Think of chi, or energy, as water flowing into your home. In your mind's eye you can clearly see that it is much better to have the water come in, pool a bit in all of the corners and then gently flow out, taking the old and stagnant with it. It is especially bad when the front and back doors align. How does one remedy this if you can't rebuild the home?
1) Place a table (round is ideal) into the center of the pathway of energy, the redirects the flow around it. Adding some fresh flowers on the table will improve the energy even more.
2) If the room is large enough, create a conversation grouping of furniture in the path of the energy flow. This repositioning of furnishings is a low cost alternative made even more powerful with a colorful rug to ground the energy.
3) If the door at the back is to a washroom, for example, simply keeping the door closed can have a beneficial effect. But the placement of a table (see above) or a large plant next to the door can also redirect the flow. Another fun alternative can be to make the door reflective with some metallic paint!
SIZE AND COLOR
Front doors need to be in relative size to the home they belong to. A huge, remodeled home with the old, tiny front door is not auspicious. Nor is the over-large double door on a very small home. You want the amount of energy entering to be in accordance to the needs of the space. Color is often a subject of discussion. What color is right for your home? Well, think in terms of the direction it faces:
South- Red
North- Dark blue or Black
East & Southeast- Natural Wood Color
West & Northwest- Ochre or Yellow
Southwest & Northeast- White
And not reflective paint colors here! It will reflect energy away!
Like so many facets of life; the power of our intent plays a key element in creating a positive flow of energy into our lives. We can shape and redirect with positive intention!