Dear Kartar: My stove and kitchen sink is directly facing each other. Is this good or bad Feng Shui?
Answer: You asked about the arrangement of the sink and stove in your kitchen. It opens up to a lot of other questions and misconceptions people have about the kitchen in general and about the misinterpretation of Yin Yang Theory and Five Element Theory.
One might assume that the stove symbolizes the fire element. Fire energy works through it to cook the food, but the stove is not kept on 24 hours a day and the modern stove is a big chunk of metal. And, there are many people who do not even use the stove on a regular basis, so its attributes as the metal element or the fire element are rarely an urgent matter.
Likewise, people assume the sink is the “water” element, but water which does not stay in the space (like an aquarium) is not considered a water remedy. Still, people think this arrangement of having the stove and sink opposite each other is a clash of fire and water. Not true.
Others just think this is a clash of yin and yang (hot versus cold). This is also not true.
I’ve had over 6,000 clients in the last 30 years and I cannot attribute anyone having good or bad luck based on the positioning of their stove in relation to the sink. In fact, the modern kitchen is generally not used as much as centuries ago when it was accurately described as the “hearth of the home.”
What is much more impactful on people nowadays is the bedroom (where you sleep a third of your life) and the home office (where many people spend 4-10 hours a day). Entrances are also a top priority in a Feng Shui analysis as well.
The ideal arrangement for a kitchen is based on its functionality.
Kartar Diamond of Feng Shui Solutions® has a full-scale consultancy, including assistance with property searches, design phase and existing homes and businesses. She is the author of three books, 6 ebooks, 36 Cast Study Lessons and more to come. See the books she’s authored or browse through her online Traditional Feng Shui school.