Often, people associate wealth with food and as such, sometimes I am approached by clients who are so paranoid about every design aspect of their dining rooms to the point where reason is abandoned, and their perspective of Feng Shui becomes more superstitious than scientific.

If you're planning your dining room, and before you work yourself - and your poor architect or interior designer - into a frenzy, remember that while it is an important place where the family gathers for meals and togetherness, the dining room is actually not very important in the Chinese metaphysical classics. In fact, it is ranked below the main door, the kitchen, master bedroom, and living room in the hierarchy of important places in the house, and that's because residents don't tend to spend much time in the dining room, certainly not enough to benefit or be harmed by the qi in that area in any way.

Basic classical Feng Shui principles
Bearing that in mind, you should also remember that if you've been told that colour and décor can affect the qi of the room, that's simply hogwash and not true! These things are irrelevant in classical Feng Shui. You may choose to have the Chinese character 'wealth' inscribed on an artifact because it looks nice, but if you think it possesses the magical powers to bring you wealth, then you are sadly wrong (can you imagine how many millionaires there would be if that were true?) Similarly, other props like mirrors should be considered as nothing more than decorative items to enhance the aesthetic value of the room. In classical Feng Shui, it's the placement and alignment of key features like pathways, walkways, halls, rooms and working areas that matter, not mirrors, nor the colour of your walls, and certainly not Chinese characters.

Suitable areas
So now that you know what won't affect your dining room's qi, it's time to find out what will. The living room should be located in a spacious and unobstructed area of the house. As long as good qi is gathered there, you will not need the assistance of "props" to bring you good luck. In this respect, the Fu Wei (伏位) or Yan Nian (延年) sectors are generally considered to be suitable areas for a dining room, if you follow the Ba Zhai or eight mansions school of thought. Because Fu Wei Qi and Yan Nian Qi are considered to be calming, it's beneficial for family gatherings and mealtimes.

Fu Wei can be translated to mean 'calming position' or 'stability'. This qi helps to ground your energies, help you relax and gain mental clarity. Have your dining room, living room or family room located in this sector of the home. Yan Nian is known as the 'longevity' direction. Yan Nian is a star that aids in building 'relationships'. This qi helps foster better ties and build rapport.

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