If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Say “feng shui” and most people picture furniture arrangements, but these ancient Chinese spatial principles reach well beyond room layouts. The kitchen, in fact, carries real weight in feng shui—so here are some simple, doable ways to bring good energy into one of the most-used rooms in the house.
01 Consider Lighting
Good lighting is essential, especially in a small kitchen. Skip fluorescent bulbs where you can, and play with different levels of light—pay attention and you’ll actually feel how each one shifts the energy of the room.
Aim for two to three layers of lighting, daylight from windows included, for a better quality of energy overall. In a small kitchen, a mirror can help too, stretching the space and pulling in more light.
02 Respect Your Stove
To gauge whether you’re giving this key appliance its due, run through a few questions:
1. Is it working properly?
2. Is it clean?
3. Do you actually cook on it, or does it just sit there?
4. If you do cook, how often do you rotate the burners you use?
Answered no to any of those? It may be time to rethink how you treat your stove. Never alternating the burners is said to reflect a subconscious habit of shutting out new opportunities. Letting it go dirty is said to dishonor wealth (however you define that). And not using it at all is said to leave wealth un-“ignited,” inviting stillness instead. Give the stove a thorough clean at least once a year, and switch up your burners.
RELATED: 10 Feng Shui Rules for Mirrors, According to Experts
03 Hang Art
Art is another easy route to color. Be thoughtful about what you choose—food imagery, a cafe or diner scene, or really any subject that suits the room. It can be realistic, abstract, cartoonish, or anything in between. Go with pieces that match the personality of both you and your kitchen.
04 Consider Other Cabinet Materials
For all that color can do, don’t feel boxed in by painted cabinets—other materials have feng shui perks of their own. Frosted or half-glass cabinet doors create “breathable” focal points, so the room doesn’t feel entirely solid and closed in. Just know that glass fronts mean you’ll need to keep what’s inside genuinely organized.
05 Keep Color in Mind
Beyond layout and appliances, color shapes a kitchen’s feng shui more than you’d think. In a smaller space, keep the walls and cabinets light—pale shades make a room feel bigger.
For calming color, whites, greens, yellows, sky blues, earthy tones, and soft grays all work beautifully. You don’t have to drench the whole kitchen in them, either. Pick a single color or a two-tone combo, and let it show up wherever it makes sense—an accent wall, the countertops, the cabinets, or the backsplash behind the stove.
06 Add Some Fruit
Want another way to slip color into the kitchen? A bowl of fruit is a classic feng shui cure. Fruit signals abundance in both health and wealth, and it gives you something nourishing to eat on top of that. Can’t always keep it stocked with fresh fruit? Artificial is the next best thing.
07 Clear Clutter
Anyone familiar with feng shui knows an organized kitchen is non-negotiable. Keep the countertops clear, and reserve your cabinets and drawers for what the kitchen actually needs.
Don’t stop at the counters, either—take a real look inside the cabinets and drawers. Be practical about it: count how many people live in your home, and let that tell you how many dishes, forks, and cups you truly need.