Q&A Sunday: Feng Shui for a Garage and Second Level

My garage is located at the center, beside the house with a door linked to the house. The house is longer than the garage. Is the garage included in the bagua? If so, the second level, will have a huge missing spot.

Earl, on Q&A Sunday: BTB and Flying Star Bagua Layouts

Feng Shui for Garage and Second Level - Floor Plan.jpg

Hi Earl,

Thank you for commenting on our blog post: Q&A Sunday: BTB and Flying Star Bagua Layouts, and this is a great question!

To provide a specific, personalized answer to your questions we need to see your floor plan, but since you haven’t sent one in, I can answer more generally.

Yes, the garage is typically included in the feng shui bagua layout if it’s connected to the house. The layout will depend on the entire floor plan, and remember the bagua is aligned at the front door. The image to the right is an example of a floor plan with an attached garage with the bagua overlaid. You can find more information on the bagua here.

Your second question concerns using the same bagua and bringing it up on the second level. In your case, if you do that, you’d have a large missing area. But there's good news! Each level of a home has a different bagua based on how you are positioned when you step foot on that floor from the stairs. So there may or may not be a missing area, but again this depends on your floor plan.

Of course, my recommendation is to send in a floor plan so that I can address your specific situation. If that isn't an option, remember these two points:

  • Align the feng shui bagua with the front door

  • You can work with multiple baguas based on each level.

Many of our readers have sent in specific bagua questions, so I encourage you to take a look at those Q&As for more advice! I've included a few below:

Q&A Sunday: Laying a Bagua with Unusual Door Placement
Q&A Sunday: Does the Feng Shui Bagua Map Include the Garage?
Q&A Sunday: Bagua Layout Basics

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!

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Buried in Paperwork

featured this month in The New York Times by Ronda Kaysen

The little round dining table in LaToya and Robert Jordan’s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, two-bedroom apartment would make for a great place to eat if only its white lacquered top were not perpetually buried under a pile of bills, unopened mail and paperwork.

“It really becomes clutter, and it becomes this area in your home that tends to hold a lot of guilt,” said Anjie Cho, an architect and feng shui consultant. “It’s an energy drain, even just sitting there, because your subconscious mind knows that it’s there.”

...read full article

Q&A Sunday: Mirrors in the Bedroom

Is it bad feng shui to put a mirror in the bedroom?

Angela M., Los Angeles, CA

Hi Angela,

I often am asked this question about mirrors in the bedroom. In BTB Feng Shui, we believe that there are no issues with having mirrors in the bedroom. In fact, we recommend mirrors in two situations. 

The first situation is if you cannot put your bed in the commanding position, located in such a way that you can clearly see the door while not being in line with the door. If this is not achievable in your bedroom, you can adjust this with the use of a mirror. I often recommend that my clients purchase a new standing mirror and position it so that when you are lying in bed, you can clearly see the door in the mirror.  The command position is absolutely critical in the bedroom because this is where you spend many YIN, or passive, time and you are more susceptible to the energies around you.  

In BTB Feng Shui, we also suggest a round or oval mirror above the bed for couples like in the photo above. The round shape symbolizes unity and wholeness within the relationship. The couple can see their reflection together within this circular shape, without any hard or sharp corners. This adjustment promotes continuity and togetherness in a relationship. Since this is above the headboard, be sure to fasten anything that goes above your head securely for safety. I would also recommend checking out our post on feng shui and headboards.

Note: There are other schools of feng shui that teach that mirrors add too much energy in the bedroom, or that mirrors should not face the bed. In BTB Feng Shui we respect and honor all other schools of feng shui. In fact, I agree that it may be startling to see your reflection while in bed in the middle of the night. If you use mirrors in the two ways I've suggested above, you can't see your own reflection while laying in bed. Remember, the goal is to create a relaxing and conscious environment that supports you and your needs.

by Anjie Cho

Thanks for reading our "Q&A Sunday".  We will be answering questions submitted by our readers. Click here to submit any Feng Shui or Green Design questions!