- Vastu Shastra has always considered the drawing room to be a place of prestige and a showcase of one’s personality and individuality. Most of the time, all formal and distinguished guests are invited first to the drawing room which usually gives the first impression of the house and its residents. Hence, people make it a point to transform their drawing room into the most beautiful area of the house.-

- The drawing room, where you entertain your guests, may well be regarded as the ‘public’ area in your home very selective people is permitted to enter the further interiors of your house. It serves the purpose of meeting people to either entertain or for other need-based discussions. Hence guests should feel welcomed and at ease here, and this can happen only if positive energies flow here with the help of Vastu Shastra principles. So, in addition to beautification of the drawing room, it is important to create a harmonious Vastu environment to make it an auspicious room as well.

Vastu Shastra tips for the drawing room from Vastu experts are as follows:

•    The best possible location for a drawing room is in the east, north or north-west directions. The north-east portion of the drawing room should be kept spacious and as free of furniture as possible. The east side should also be kept light and airy.

•    All heavy furniture should be placed next to the walls on the southern and western sides of the drawing room

•    Placing a mirror on the northern wall helps enhance the positive effects of the energies emanating from the north. The northern wall is also a good place for installing windows, as this brings in prosperity. If the northern and eastern walls are enhanced, the inmates of that structure become prosperous. 

•    While decorating your drawing room, make it a point to showcase your most priceless possessions here. The theory behind this is that the wealth you display will multiply and come back to you manifold. It is said that whatever you display and see, is what you will receive, so display your wealth, good art pieces, your achievements, etc, in the drawing hall.

•    Make sure that the drawing room is well lit. Also, pastel green is an auspicious color for the walls. It is important to leave the northern and eastern walls for light-weighted furniture. Heavy furniture should be kept against northern and eastern walls. 

•     The seating arrangement should be such that while sitting one faces the east.

We all understand the significance of a kitchen. A kitchen is a place where nutritious food is cooked which in turn provides us with energy to do work and live healthy. Vastu Shastra considers a house without a kitchen to be incomplete. An Indian housewife spends most of her time in the kitchen, in fact, her day starts in the kitchen and ends in the kitchen. Also, the entire family gets their basic life energy from food prepared in the kitchen. We can even say that the kitchen is the backbone of the house.

In earlier times, the kitchen was situated in an open space. This helped the kitchen access as much light as possible and made it easier to dispel smoke rising from the stove. Today, most of the households have closed kitchens and as a Vastu expert in India, I suggest it is essential to create a Vastu-friendly kitchen that fulfills the requirement for a place that takes care of our physical, emotional and biological needs.

1    The kitchen should ideally be located between the southern and eastern directions, ie, in the south-east direction of the plot. Kitchens situated in the north-eastern direction may result in heavy losses for the family. Similarly, kitchens in the south-west could give rise to clashes within the family, whereas a kitchen in the north-west may result in an increase in expenditure.

2    Good lighting is an essential prerequisite for a kitchen. To ensure proper ventilation and a positive Vastu environment, the kitchen’s windows should be positioned in the eastern direction. Artificial lighting should also be sufficient.

3    The best place for the kitchen door is the north. Take care that while preparing food, the cook does not have his/her back towards the door.

4    The kitchen is an important place in the house. It should be painted with fiery colors like red, orange, yellow, brown etc; blue and black shades are a strict taboo to be used here. Avoid using blue as it is identified with water. Shades of green can be used as a remedy for improving the Vastu of wrongly-placed kitchens.

5    Avoid placing the cooking stove on the north-eastern corner. It should be on the eastern wall of the kitchen or in the south-east corner of the kitchen area. This direction is called the Agneya Disha, named after Agni, the Hindu God of fire who resides here. This disha (direction) has a natural source of fire as solar heat is at its maximum when the sun is in the southern direction. When the sun reaches the south-east, it releases vitamins D and F in the atmosphere. The value of these vitamins in the kitchen is immeasurable.

6    All heat-generating kitchen equipments, such as microwaves, hot cases, hotplates, geysers, mixer grinders, etc, should also be placed in the south-east direction of the kitchen.

7    While preparing the food, the cook should face the east or the south. Facing the north or the west while cooking is not favorable. The cook or the housewife, whoever is cooking, should not have his/her back towards the kitchen door while cooking.