Reader Krys S. in Chicago asks:
“I adore the look of open shelves. I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to them. And, yet, I read on your blog and in other feng shui resources, that open shelves are like knives that cut the residents of the home. Ouch!
“Do I have to abandon my dream of open kitchen shelving surrounding my one kitchen window? Or is there something I could do to diminish the cutting effect of the open shelves?”
Indeed Krys’s fear’s are valid. In fact open shelves create two Feng Shui issues:
- The knife-edges of open shelves create “sha chi,” or poison arrows, aimed right at you.
- Open shelves invite dust and clutter, violating the #1 rule of good Feng Shui, to keep your space clean and clutter-free.
For instance in these two photos you can see that things are stacked behind other things on the shelves, making them inaccessible at best.
Your Feng Shui goal is to blunt the edge of the poison arrows. You’ll create good kitchen Feng when you:
- Build the shelves so they’re just deep enough to hold one later of kitchen supplies.
- Pull things to the front of the shelves to create more of a blunt-edge to the look of the shelves.
- Design the shelves with rounded edges to reduce their sharpness.
- Avoid using Metal for the shelf material.
- Keep the shelves clean and tidy.
Here’s an example of open kitchen shelving with good Feng Shui:
The shelves have been build just deep enough for the spice jars so you’re hardly aware of the sharp edges of the shelves at all.
Here’s another positive Feng Shui example, with dishes:
(Photos: tessituracrafts, collarcitybrownstone, bhg.com)
Ann…your web site/article page is incredibly beautiful and professional! There is always so much to learn from you. As a colleague professional organizer, your deeper explanations help us to put the ‘why’ into what some of us ‘intuitively’ know, and the combination is powerful! Thanks to you, I’m totally convinced of the importance of honoring feng shui principals for attaining organizational goals. Thank you; you continue to amaze me!
Sheila Delson, CPO-CD
Sheila, thanks so much for your humbling words. It’s so good to know that these principles resonate with you and that I’m able to convey them in a way that’s actually helpful! Sending hugs, Ann
Ann, thank you so much for featuring my question! I appreciate the insight and tips for incorporating open shelving in my kitchen. They are incredibly helpful – the example photos helped me better understand what is meant by “blunting the edges” by bringing everything forward. I will let you know how we end up incorporating your advice, when we actually get into the remodeling. Many thanks for your kind and thoughtful assistance!
You’re welcome Krys — it’s a very good question that I am happy to be able share in the blog. Thanks for asking it 😉
I’ve always believed that open shelving looks good only in magazine photos or possibly in a rarely used vacation home. Most of us couldn’t keep up with the demands of keeping open shelving neat and pretty.Your pointers help explain how to get the look but make it work on all levels.
I’ll still take cabinet doors, thank you.
Hi there, Yes, I prefer cabinet doors too 😉 but try to find Feng Shui solutions when someone really wants open shelving. Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it!
i’ve always wanted to have open bookshelves in my room,more like a small library. is it O.K to have them ?
please help 🙂
It depends on which room you want them in, and what you plan to store on the shelves….