Recently, I have had requests on how to use the Bagua map when you have a double storey place, a mezzanine or an L-shaped apartment. It can be confusing so let’s look at the overall basics. Get a floor plan of your whole space or draw one; it doesn’t have to be pretty. Include balconies, gardens, bay windows and garages. If they are attached to the place then they are part of the whole structure and should be included in the plan. Place the Bagua map over your floor plan and you should have your main entrance in to your space on the wall of Inner Knowledge, Career and Helpful People.
Make An Entrance
There is always a main door that was designed for the whole place but many people use a more convenient door, from a garage for example. This is a secondary door and you may wish to reconsider returning to using the main door of the floor plan. If it enters in the Inner Knowledge or Career sector, look at painting it dark blue or charcoal and if it is in the Helpful People sector, the colour grey is perfect. You now have your plan.
I Have a Missing Sector!
Many Australian and American houses are L-shaped and have the garden in the back area. If this is the case, there are remedies to connect it with the house. A tall light, a path to a fountain, there are many recommendations, depending on the layout. Just make sure they match the element of that area. For example, say you are missing the Fame sector, this is connected to the Fire element. If you put a fountain there, this means the Water element will put out the Fire. Not a good idea. Some of us have a balcony or a terrace as I do. Mine is in the Relationship corner and we have ‘pulled’ it in with mirrors stating intentions and have also set it up as a place to relax and read, although it can be the laundry at times! See my recent post on Missing Areas and using mirrors https://interiorharmonyblog.com/2019/09/01/feng-shui-conversations-missing-sectors/
The Double Storey Plan
Look at where you enter in to each level, even if it is a mezzanine. That becomes the main entrance to that floor and you place the Bagua map the same way as you did with the whole space. Look for terraces and missing walls as often there are alcoves or balconies that need to be considered. I am not a fan of mezzanines as it usually means a missing a wall which isn’t the best design in Feng Shui practices. Yet again, don’t panic; there are solutions but I recommend you consult a Feng Shui practitioner to come and look at the whole area.
Next Steps
Following this process, you will have reviewed the whole space including any gardens or balconies and other storeys if you have them, and finally each room. It sounds complicated but let’s look at an example. As I walk in to my current Berlin apartment, my Travel and Helpful People is a second bedroom with a small balcony. I have solved the balcony issue with mirrors and ‘pushed the wall out’ to include the balcony. The key element is Metal and we have used dove grey, metal and white to enhance the area. Another example is that we have a strange space in our Wealth sector – our building’s architect doesn’t believe in straight walls! The solution was to put an expensive blue fridge there and to add a water fountain and a golden palm plant. The plant is in an expensive Chinese pot with navy flowers. It looks a little strange but it works. Our two cats love to drink from the fountain which means energy goes in to that area and the plant, crossing my non-green fingers, is growing. It is about practicality as well as harmony!
