Vastu Shastra is an amazing blend of science, art, astronomy and astrology. It can also be said to be an ancient mystic science or philosophy for designing the building that help to make our lives better. It literally means the science of architecture. It is the science of direction that combines all the five elements of nature: air, water, earth, space and fire and balances them with the man and materials of the house. The basic principle of vastu is to create a balance in the environment to make the house a home where we can find mental solace and also have the opportunity to enhance health, wealth, good luck and prosperity.

However, it is not a magic wand that could change your life overnight. It is a discipline that does affect your life, but gradually. Though usually the buildings are designed according to the principles of vastu, still there are a few basic vastu tips that we can follow in the decor of the house to bring in happiness and prosperity in our life.

We have compiled 7 simple vastu tips that can bring good luck and wealth in our home. Have a look!

1. Welcome home prosperity

A beautiful entrance attracts wealth and prosperity. According to the vastu, North or East direction is ideal for the entrance door. Keep it well arranged, bright and well-lit. The door should be preferably of solid wood. Avoid keeping shoe-rack or footwear here as it is believed to block positive energy from entering the home. Make sure to put the nameplate at the entrance.

2. The serene wall of wealth

• If there is a wall at the entrance, don’t leave it naked. Naked wall represent loneliness especially if it is at the entrance. It looks sad and negative. Show your creativity and decorate the wall. You can hang the picture of the God or place a statue there; it all depends on you.

3. Bedroom full of happiness

Health is wealth! You cannot be healthy without a good sleep. The bedroom should be arranged according to the rules of vastu. Keep the bedroom well lit with natural lights during the day. Let the fresh air flow into the room by keeping the windows open for at least 20 minutes every day. There should be minimum furniture and the colour of the walls soothing. If it is the room of a couple, keep a single mattress instead of double. It is the symbol of togetherness. Plan the bedroom in the south-west direction but don’t put the bed in the corner or pushed along the wall.

​4. Painting the good luck

• The vastu painting showing the scenic view of river, flowing water or goldfish on the wall brings good luck and wealth to your home and life. The larger the painting, the more energy it will attract. Plenty of fresh air and natural lights is extremely important in vastu practices. It brings in wealth and prosperity to your home. Make sure that your home gets ample sunlight and fresh air.

5. Swimming in the positive energy

Bring home an aquarium and with it bring home positive energy. Aquarium attracts fortune and wealth. Make sure that the fishes in the aquarium are healthy, active, strong swimmer and always on the move. The constant movement of the fish will keep the flow of wealth energized. Keep the water well aerated and clean. The ideal place for the aquarium is the north-east position of the room.

6. Peaceful coexistence

Vastu shastra is all about balancing and adjusting the energies of the nature to bring peace and prosperity to your home and eventually in your life. Kitchen is the food factory of our home and it needs to be in perfect balance because the two opposite force of nature, fire and water, exist here. It is important to place the sink and stove in such a way that they don’t collide with each other. They should be as far from each other as possible. Avoid placing the both in a same line.

​7. Sparkling fortune

Sparkling clean glass of windows and doors attracts fresh and positive energy in your home and to your life. If you have space, create a small garden outside the window and have curved pathway or pave the path with pebbles and install a fountain. Keep a water fountain in the north-east part of your home and make sure that the flow of water is constant. Flowing water symbolizes the flow of energy and prosperity.

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The location of a locker room determines the material affluence of a house. According to vastu shastra, locker rooms must be idyllically located in the northern direction. Also, it’s very important to make sure the room is well protected and apt to keep jewelry and cash. This section will deal with vastu shastra tips pertaining to locker room.

Shape Of A Locker Room

A locker room must always be rectangular or square shaped. Also, the height of this room should never be more or less than that of the other rooms

Location Of The Locker

• The best location for a chest as per vastu for locker room is south.
• Do not place a locker in the north-east corner or south-west as it may lead to financial losses.
• The chest must always have its front towards the north wall and its back towards the southern wall.
• Locker or Almirah placed in the north-west or south-east corner may lead to needless expenditure.
• The locker should be minimum one foot away from the south-west or north-west corner.
• A chest must always be placed at least an inch from the wall.
• If there is a scarcity of space you can place the locker in the Eastern direction.

Doors and Windows For A Locker Room

The locker room must not have more than one door. The door should have two-shutters and must be in the east or north direction. Avoid constructing doors at the south-west, south-east, and north-west and in any other southern direction. Windows must be constructed in the North or East direction in the room

Things To Keep In Mind

• Locker room must never be under a beam.
• A locker must never be placed in a corner.
• Valuables must be kept in the southern or western part of the locker.
• The room should always be clutter free and clean.
• Hang a mirror to reflect the locker. This helps in doubling the wealth.
• A fountain with calming sound of water should be placed in the room as it can generate positive energy in the space.

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Building Bedroom according to Vastu

There are specific rules that you have to follow for maintaining the optimal situation of Vastu in bedroom. The bedroom is a very intimate spot and this is the spot that needs a lot of attention when one is trying to improve its harmony with the nature. There are some specific Vastu tips that have to be followed to get the best results. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. Door: The door to the bedroom has to open at least up to ninety degrees. This is significant of the fact that you are allowing maximum opportunities into your life. You are also supposed to make sure that the bedroom door is made of a solid and strong material, so that your private and intimate life is protected from the outer world and the interferences as well.
2. First thing you see: It is always good to make sure that the first thing you see upon entering your bedroom is something that is serene and happy. This could be a gift your loved one gave you, a photograph or even flowers!
3. Remove the clutter: Make sure that the room is clutter free and make sure that there is enough room and possibility for movement. According to Vastu for bedroom, clutter, especially within the cupboards and under the bed is really bad. Some of this clutter might also include things from the past that you are handing on to and affecting your life because of. It would be best to remove this clutter and make your room open to the forces of nature, so that you can be happier.
4. Sleep pointing to the south: When you sleep, your head should point to the south. The north provides the body with magnetic energy, which will excite the blood. This can really ruin your sleep and that must be avoided at any cost.
5. Mirrors: Do not keep a mirror on the northern side of the bedroom. This will make sure that you are always thinking about the troubles and it will also make sure that your troubles are being projected back at you. Move the mirror to another wall or you just keep the mirror covered when you are sleeping in the night.
6. Sharp corners: In the bedroom, Vastu dictates that you avoid sleeping directly in line with any sharp corners. Sharp corners would take away the calm and serenity from your life and make you much more tensed. This will not make the intimacy situation any better. Neither will it improve your chances of becoming successful.

Building Living room according to Vastu

• The living room is not only the place where the family usually gather together, it is also the area where the other people come into the house. This area is powerful because it can draw a lot of outside attention to the house. However, the energy carried by the outsiders would also enter your house, so you have to make sure that you are doing all you can to draw only on their positive spirits. Here are some good concepts related to Vastu for living room.
  1. Seating: When sitting in the living room, the owner of the house has to face either the north or the east. The other members of the house, or the people who have come to visit should sit opposite to or beside the owner.
  2. The north- east face: The east and the north face of the house are of high quality. They can attract good vibrations from this (north-east) corner. Having the living room in the north- east would make sure that people are more harmonious and there is less discord in the house.
  3. Telephone: House construction in Vastu considers the south to be the direction of fire, so this is the direction where all the electronics have to be kept. If you put your telephones, TVs, etc. in the south- west direction, it will definitely be beneficial for you.
  4. Flooring: In Vastu for living room, it is considered better for the living room to be at a lower level than the rest of the house, since it can provide a good sense to the rest of the family, when compared to the guests, especially.
  5. Doors: The doors in the living room are not restricted by numbers; they are restricted by the places where they can be kept. You can keep your door in the northern direction of your house, for this is the direction that has all the magnetic control. This is what will help people to be attracted towards your house- a huge benefit for you!
  6. Front facing living rooms: If the living rooms are front facing, the north should be the most important direction, for this is the direction that would get the maximum benefits. However, the west or south facing houses will not work the same way. The latter two houses have to make sure that the living room is not a front room, but a side one or a back one.
  7. Making decisions here: One always has to be careful while sitting in the living room and discussing important things- about business or personal matters. When you are discussing such matters, you have to make sure that you are facing the north or the east. And the guests should face the south or the west. This is the seating arrangement that would certainly lead people into success.

Building Kitchen according to Vastu

The kitchen is an important component of the building structures because of the fact that the kitchen is where all people derive their nutrition from, and hence their health as well. When dealing with Vastu and architecture, it becomes important to make sure that the kitchen is also designed in accordance with the principles of the Vastu that are to be followed:

1. South-east corner: It is best if the kitchen is in the south- east corner of the house, or the corner of the house.
2. North-west: If it is not possible to construct a kitchen on south-east, one can move to the north- western portion.
3. Electric gadgets: there are some gadgets in the kitchen, such as the mixer or the toaster. They have to be connected in the southern wall, for this is the direction of the kitchen that is best for the element of fire.
4. Colours: Try using colours to make the whole thing more colourful for you. There are four primary colours that are believed to increase a person’s health, eating habits and also calm. There are four colours that are best used for the Vastu of kitchen. The colours included blue, green, red and yellow.
5. Door: The door of the kitchen has to face the north- eastern direction. They could also face the north or the east directions.
6. Cooking: When cooking activities are being conducted, it would be the best for the lady to be facing east while cooking. This will certainly bring more prosperity and happiness to life.
7. The dining area: The kitchen or the dining room is a really good place to have daily meals. But when one is eating in the kitchen or the daily meals, people have to make sure that they are not pointing towards the southern direction.
8. Bedroom-kitchen: It is not a smart idea to put the kitchen right next to the bedroom. If you have to put them next to each other, make sure that the wall between these two places are thick. In fact, these walls should be thicker than the other walls.
9. Gas: When you put the gas, make sure it is in the south- eastern portion of the kitchen. Even the exhaust fan should be located on this corner or the eastern one.
10. Water: Keep the water in the north- east portion of the kitchen, if it is drinking water. Vastu for kitchen determines that this is the safest direction for water

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Which direction?

“Ideally, the bedroom at south-west brings good health and prosperity for the home owner and enhances longevity. Avoid a bedroom in the north-east or south-east zone of the house. In the south-east, it may result in quarrels among the couple. The bedroom in the north-east may cause a health issue. The children‘s bedroom is best in the east or north-west zone of the house,” says Dr Parmar

Bed placement

• According to Vastu, your bed should be placed with the head towards the east or south.
  

  The bed in the guest room can have its head towards the west. Also, it is best if your bed is made of wood. Metal can create negative vibrations.  To encourage togetherness, a couple should sleep on one single mattress and not join two separate mattresses

Mirror, mirror

Careful where you fix your dressing table, assuming it has a mirror.

According to Vastu, avoid a mirror in front of your bed as the reflection of one’s sleeping body in a mirror is inauspicious.

What colour paint?

• Colours don’t just brighten our world; they also affect our mood, health and happiness.
  

  Ideally, paint your bedroom off-white, baby pink or cream. Avoid dark colours. The room should be well-organised. Keep your bedroom clean and clutter-free, says Dr Snehal Deshpande, an expert in Classical Vastu and Feng Shui.

  More Tips

• Avoid a round or oval-shaped bed.
• Bed should always have a head rest. Never keep a window open behind your head when sleeping.
• Avoid a round ceiling above the bed.
• Never sleep under an overhead beam.
• Refrain from hanging photographs of deceased ancestors on the wall.
• Do not place the temple in the bedroom.
• Remove all broken or chipped items.
• Keep door of attached toilet shut when not in use.
• Mop the floor at least once a week with sea salt added to the water as it removes negative energy.

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​Southeast Corner

According to Vastu, the lord of fire, Agni prevails in the southeast direction of the home, which means the ideal placement of kitchen is in the southeast direction of your house.

If you can’t find a suitable space in the southeast direction, the northwest direction will work just as well.

Exhaust Fans and Windows

• Vastu says that there should be at least one or two windows in the kitchen. Large or small, the kitchen window should always face east. For ventilators, you can count on the southern direction of the house. As for Vastu, the more ventilated your kitchen is, the better it is. Just like the huge windows facing outwards in this room.

Utensils

Storage is an important part of the kitchen as we need to store food, grains, as well as utensils without creating any mess. The storage cupboards are better fitted to the southern and western wall of the kitchen. Avoid placing them in the north and east walls. A clutter free arrangement is preferred the most in this case, just like the kitchen here.

Water in the Kitchen

• Water bottle, filters, or any related vessels are the water element of the house and for this, there cannot be a better place than the north-east side.

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Direction of the main door

“The main door should always be in the north, north-east, east, or west, as they are considered auspicious. Avoid having the main door in the south, south-west, north-west (north side), or south-east (east side) directions. A door in the south or south-west, can be corrected by using a lead metal pyramid and lead helix. A door in the north-west can be corrected, with a brass pyramid and a brass helix, while a door in the south-east direction can be corrected, by using a copper helix,” suggests Parmar.

The main door should be bigger than any other door in the house and should open in a clockwise manner. Avoid having three doors in a line, parallel to the main door, as this is considered as a serious Vastu defect and can affect the happiness in the home.

Materials used for the main door:

• A wooden door is considered most auspicious for the main entrance.
• South direction: the door should have a combination of wood and metal.
• West: should have metal work.
• Northern door: should have more of silver colour.
• East: should be made of wood and adorned with limited metal accessories.

Decorating the area around the main door

A clean house, especially the main entrance, attracts positive energy. Do not keep dustbins, broken chairs or stools, near the main door.The main door should always have a threshold, (marble or wood), as it is believed that it absorbs negative vibes and allows only positive energy to pass through. Decorate the main door with divine symbols like, Om, swastika, cross, etc., and put rangolis on the floor, as they are considered auspicious and invite good fortune.

Vastu do and don’ts for the main door

• Always have a bright light at the entrance but avoid red lights. The main door should be well-lit in the evening.
• Never place a mirror opposite the main door.
• Decorate the entrance with green plants, if there is space.
• The main door should open at 90 degrees, without any obstacles in the way.
• Ensure that the hinges are oiled regularly and door accessories are polished. There should not be any broken or chipped wood, or missing screws at the entrance. Extra nails must be removed.
• Always put up a name plate. A metal name plate is recommended, if the door is in the north or west direction. Use a wooden name plate, if the door is in the south or east direction

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1. Understand what an architect does

An architect is a consultant. He designs the building on paper. He does not build it. An independent agency called the contractor builds what the architect designs. As a client you will have to hire an architect to design the building.

2. Understand the technical competence of the architect

No matter how creative the architect’s sketches are, ultimately, you want a building that will not leak, rot, fall apart, or need maintenance. Every architect is not as technically competent as the other. A good architect will have a basic understanding of structural engineering, building construction, building services (such as electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, and information systems), quality management, local building regulations, and project management. Not every architect has these skills. Look at the architect’s previous work, and ask to see buildings that she has completed. If possible, speak to the owners of these buildings. Ensuring that the architect is licensed to practice in your area is a key step in hiring an architect.

3. Get a feel for the style of work of the architect

Conflicts crop up during the design process when the architect and the clients have different views. Try and get an idea if the architect can see the problem from your point of view, or is flexible. The worst thing you can do to an architect is show him magazines – ‘I want this’. Sometimes a client will show an architect two different magazine shots – for the same room! That makes no sense. Instead, look at the previous work of the architect, and, if you like what you see, trust the architect. She should come up with a solution tailored to your needs. Be aware that some architects have their own signature styles, and you will get that style – and nothing else – when you hire them.

4. Be clear about what you want

You must put a lot of thought into what you want. Don’t just say “I want a hospital“. What kind? How many patients will arrive in the busiest hour? Will your cafeteria use food cooked from outside or will it have a kitchen? What is your nurse:patient ratio? Put a lot of thought into this, and write out a clear design brief for the architect. This will help you to clarify your thoughts, and is an essential step in communicating what you need to the architect. A design brief contains a list of spaces you need, and a brief note on the functioning and organisation of your project , even if it is a tiny house. If you have a large project, you should hire an architect just to write a Design Brief

A few words from our clients

Modern residence located in the quaint town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, designed by Ark Residential Corp.

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