My landlord has installed a screen door with a white plastic frame on my front door that faces northeast. I have painted the main door and the door frame burgundy but wonder if the white screen door is blocking the energy flow.
Clifton S., Austin, TX
Hi Clifton,
Thank you so much for your submission to Q&A Sundays on the Holistic Spaces blog. We get a lot of questions about front doors, and the first thing I want to address is the part of the question that relates to the detail that your front door faces northeast.
There are dozens and dozens of different schools of feng shui. The one that I practice is called BTB Feng Shui. In BTB feng shui, we actually look at the direction of the front door in relationship to the flow of qi in your environment, so we don’t consider the cardinal directions in adjustments. So I can’t really comment on the direction and color of your door in this sense.
With regard to the rest of the question, you have a burgundy front door, your landlord has recently installed a white screen door, and it seems your concern is that the screen door is blocking the energy flow. My gut feeling is that this isn’t an issue. The screen door is there for a mundane reason, and actually using the door is more important from the BTB perspective. So be sure to use your front door!
In terms of the front door, you ideally want it located so that visitors and qi can easily find the entrance. Nothing physical blocking it. Burgundy is also a nice color, especially if it matches the exterior of the home. Burgundy is a dark red, and red is a very auspicious color in feng shui. With regard to the white screen door, I don’t see a problem, but there may be something about it visually that concerns you. I’m not sure whether your question is about white and burgundy specifically, but if your concern is that the color white may be an issue, I would say no. I also don’t feel the screen door will block the flow of qi. Other matters, like the location of your door in relationship to the street, whether it’s easily found and has a clear path, and what you want to achieve in your life, are more important here.
If you are retired and want some quiet time, it’s acceptable if the door isn’t quite as visible from the street. However, if you’re younger and want to welcome more opportunity, you’ll want your door to be easily seen. Additionally, it’s important the door doesn’t squeak, works well and doesn’t get stuck. Again, the screen door shouldn’t be a problem, and I see no issues with the colors burgundy and white. Of course, it would be helpful to see a photograph of the entire context, since this is an isolated question. It’s always helpful to learn more about the situation! You might also take a look at some of these posts around feng shui and the front door.
If you’d like to learn more about feng shui check out the Mindful Design feng shui cerfication program. Laura Morris and I launched our program in September 2018. Check us out at www.mindfuldesignschool.com
Mindful Design is a new way to learn feng shui. Our a unique training program takes an holistic approach to learning the art of feng shui design. Mindful design is about becoming aware, and attentive, to the energy around you: both inner and outer qi. It is about promoting a better way of living and creating sacred spaces that support, and nourish.
