In most cultures, the kitchen is the heart of the home.

The kitchen brings the family together. This is where the family gather to catch up on the news of the day, where kids do their homework on kitchen table, where a close neighbor will drop by for a chat. Also cooking can be a space for real celebration for holiday preparations with the family and friends.

The kitchen represents the health and wellness of a family. Food prepared in the The kitchen nourishes us, and the kitchen also provides a place for nurturing family connections

The kitchens also represent a family’s prosperity. The Chinese relate the nourishing power of the stove to the ability of family members to earn money.

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a house.

The kitchen is dominated by the elements of Fire and Water. Those elements are incompatible so it is important to take care of positioning of your appliances, color of your walls and backsplash as well as keeping any clutter under control.

Here are some great Feng Shui tips to help you design the best kitchen for great health and abundance.

Dos

1- Cook in the “Command Position”. This means from a place where you can see the front door and be in the control of your kitchen space. Ideally when standing at your stove you should see people coming in the kitchen. If you don’t, install a reflective surface such as a shiny backsplash above your stove.

2- Have your kitchen design based on a traditional triangle model, with the sink, refrigerator and range making up each point of the triangle. There should be a 6- to 8- foot distance between each appliance. This allows for maximum convenience and a minimum of repeated moves.

3- Take good care of your stove by keeping it clean and in perfect working condition. It represents wealth.  And using all the burners helps attract money from multiple sources.

4- Keep the refrigerator and freezer full of healthy food to demonstrate the prosperity of your home. And place a bowl of fresh fruits on the kitchen table is a symbol of good health and vitality.

5- Consider incorporating the color green or some greenery into your kitchen scheme. Fresh flowers and plants bring the message of vitality and life to a kitchen, which is not only esthetically pleasing but symbolically beneficial as well.

Donts

1- Paint your kitchen with red, pink or purple. These are "fire" colors, and can portend arguments, so if you and your spouse tend to fight in the kitchen, see if the wall or floor color might have something to do with this.

2- Keep too many utensils on your kitchen countertops so that the Chi can flow freely and nourish your home.

3- Keep out of date cans, package goods, preserves in your cabinets and food from your refrigerator that has been there too long. It reduces the energy level of your home and affects health.

4- Clutter your kitchen with utensils and small appliances. Keep those out of sight. Having all outside on your countertops disrupt the chi flow making it slower and lethargic.

5- Keep broken appliances even if it means living without a toaster at all for a while, it's better to have no toaster than one that doesn't work very well.

For more information about interior design and Feng Shui, visit www.manobluedesign.com or email Marie Burgos at marie@manobludesign.com