We are about to decorate our dining room and it is going to be a fun opportunity! This is a room that is all about abundance and Feng Shui practice definitely sees food as a sign of prosperity. There are some key elements with the table, style and setting.
The Table
This is the central focus of the dining room and should mirror not just your style but how you see the space. The ideal table is made of wood with gentle curves and no poison arrows. It is best to avoid glass tables as stated in a previous post, as this represents cutting edges unless contained in a metal curved rim. Mind you, I always think glass dining tables are a bit scary to have plates on and also too easy to scratch. Glass is also aligned with emotional energy. Make sure the size is able to fit ideally six to eight people as it sends a welcoming message. We have a wonderful French family farm dining table made out of pear wood. It is worn and has stood the test of time. So many dinners around it and I also work on it during the day. It has been much loved and continues to be so and as with all Feng Shui practice, it has soft round edges and of course, being made of wood, it is signifies growth and life.
Colours
Check out the Bagua map for where the dining table is located; ours is based in the Wealth sector and it is going to be interesting to decorate it. The aligned colours are blue, green and purples and definitely not pastels! We are thinking of creating a restaurant style to tie in the luxurious colours. Already, emerald green seems to be the key colour and against a warm wood, it adds a really chic look and we will balance it with soft earth colours as the Wood element grows in the Earth element.
Chairs
Like a bed, I test drive a chair when buying. I have made mistakes in the past with chairs that look wonderful but are hard to sit on or make you slide down somehow. Also, there are chairs that make you want to sit back making it difficult to eat and I definitely prefer a chair with a back as opposed to a bench. We are torn between buying some wooden chairs and adding cushions or going for a fabric chair – watch this space! In our Berlin apartment, we had six lovely French cafe chairs which meet what we need and follow Feng Shui principles of soft curves. In addition, ensure that your guests ideally don’t have their back to the door and that there is an even number of seats.
Decor
Having eaten in dining rooms with interesting paintings of aggressive scenes, stark black and white photos and dull country pastorals, it is important to consider what message you are sending to your diners. Look for pictures that set an inviting and warm area. As it is the Wood sector, gentle art work of water, pictures of trees and before you are grimacing, there are some wonderful modern art that can be bought. I will post in the future once we have found our dining style!
