Feng Shui your dining room.
Every room in your home serves a special purpose in supporting your wellbeing.
The dining room is a space that should promote connection, communication, peace, and good health through mindful eating.
It should be comfortable so that family and guests are encouraged to stay long and socialise, and the atmosphere should invoke positive emotions only.
This blog covers the perfect furnishings, décor, and colours for your dining room, as well as how to create the perfect centrepiece for energetic alignment.
Furnishings.
Table.
Shape.
The ideal shape for a dining table is round, as it represents unity and oneness.
Throughout history, seating has been used as a way to signify a person’s standing within their home and community. The father would sit at the head of the table, and, amongst nobility, diners were seated according to rank, with those bearing lesser titles seated ‘below the salt’.
A round table takes away the hierarchy and puts everyone on an equal footing. It helps to encourage respectful conversation and listening to others’ points of view.
Material.
The best materials for a dining table to be made out of are wood and stone, as both elements have a grounding effect.
Glass dining tables should be avoided as they represent fragility and instability. Metal tables should also be avoided as metal is a conductor and may affect the energy of food and diners.
Chairs.
In Feng Shui, it is ideal to have an even number of seats so that no one feels left out. Even if you do have an odd number of diners, having that extra chair set out signifies that there is room for another person to enter your life and keep company with anyone who may be feeling like a third or fifth wheel.
Chairs should be comfortable to encourage family and guests to stay for longer. Fabric chairs are the most comfortable but may be impractical if you have small children or pets. In this case, cushions with washable covers and an excellent choice to create a cosy feeling.
A tall, solid chair back is a must to prevent diners from feeling exposed and paranoid while they eat. Ideally, the chair will also offer neck support and armrests.
The centrepiece.
As the centre of a house forms the energetic heart of the building (tai qi), a dining table is another centre of energy around which people gather. Therefore, it is important to represent each of the five Chinese elements at your table to create a sense of harmony.
While designing your centrepiece, be cautious of over-representing any one element.
The wood element.
A bowl of fresh fruit will serve to represent the wood element at your dining table, whilst also encouraging healthy eating.
You may add a houseplant or a vase of fresh flowers to symbolise vitality and abundance. Never use dried flowers, as they represent death and decay.
Natural placemats and table-toppers made of maize, jute, seagrass, etc., are also an excellent choice.
The fire element.
Lighting a candle is the perfect way to create the relaxing and warm atmosphere ideal for dining. You may also use a decorative LED lamp.
When selecting your candle, choose a colour and scent that aligns with what you would like to achieve in your dining space.
Pink represents unconditional love, compassion, and friendship.
Green balances emotions and represents harmony and truth.
Blue promotes understanding, communication, and patience.
Avoid red, as it represents passion, which at a dining table may encourage arguments.
The water element.
Place a pitcher of water on the table while dining and make sure everyone has a full glass at meals. I find that if you offer your guests water, they usually say no, but if it’s already placed in front of them, they will almost always drink it. This is a sneaky way to keep your loved ones hydrated 😉
Another water element for your dining table could be a vase of fresh flowers or, if there is enough natural lighting to support it, a houseplant in water (this also covers the wood element).
The metal element.
If you have metal cutlery, the metal element is already covered. However, I like to go a bit further than this.
A metal fruit bowl serves to enhance this element as well as the wood element, while a metal water pitcher (ideally copper for its health benefits) also enhances the water element.
If you choose to display a houseplant on your dining table, you may consider placing it in a metal pot.
The earth element.
Earth is another element that is easily represented by ceramic dinnerware. However, as earth is a grounding element ideal for energetic centres, it is beneficial to enhance it further.
You could place your houseplant (wood element) in a ceramic pot, or—ideally—place a beautiful crystal at the centre of the table. Choose a crystal that aligns with the energy you would like to bring into your dining space.
Moss agate promotes self-expression, communication, trust, hope, and reduces stress.
Green calcite is particularly beneficial for children struggling to communicate.
Celestite creates calm, mental balance, and open communication.
Cerussite encourages listening and creativity.
Chrysocolla supports healing, communication, and wards off negative energies.
Blue chalcedony promotes listening, verbal communication skills, and optimism, whereas dendritic chalcedony supports presence, joy, and communication.
Kunzite promotes unconditional love, positive communication, and peace.
Rose quartz represents unconditional love, while clear quartz helps to ground and articulate.
Dinnerware.
Plates.
It’s difficult to go wrong with dinnerware. Most of us already have ceramic plates, which are ideal for the dining space.
The colour of your plates can serve to enhance different ideals.
Black and blue plates promote slow eating and weight loss.
White plates with gold or silver trim are great for celebrations and success.
Natural ceramic colours aid in lively discussion.
Cutlery.
Metal cutlery is ideal as it enhances energy.
Stainless steel is a great conduit for the energy of the human body and is beneficial to diners.
Gold-coloured cutlery symbolises wealth and abundance.
Décor.
A rug.
Placing a rug beneath your dining table creates a cosy atmosphere and gives the space a warm feeling.
If your dining table is in an open-plan room or the kitchen, a rug can be used to create a zone separating it from the other areas.
A mirror.
A mirror enhances the energy of whatever it reflects. If you place a mirror so that it reflects your dining table and the beautiful centrepiece you have created, it will serve to double this energy.
Mirrors can also be used to enhance lighting in dim areas.
Wall hangings.
The images you display in your dining area should enhance feelings of peace and harmony.
Images representing death, decay, or desolate scenes should be avoided. Photos of loved ones who have passed away should also be avoided.
Colour scheme.
While many factors impact the choice of colour in Feng Shui, in general, earth colours such as beige, brown, orange, and yellow are considered to support the ideal home environment.
Avoid red in the dining area, as it creates too much fire energy and may encourage conflict. Also, avoid overusing neutrals (black, white, and grey). Black represents sorrow and separation, grey promotes feelings of boredom and depression, and white, although it represents purity, can be too much of a good thing.
All images generated using Canva AI.
