kitchen Archives - Linda Varone | Nurturing Spaces Feng Shui

The Kitchen Altar: An Old Tradition for Your Busy Modern Life

March 15, 2012 by Linda Varone

In Chinese folk religions, one of the roots of Feng Shui, the most important domestic god is the Kitchen God, Zao Jun. It is believed at special times of the year he goes to heaven and reports to the Jade Emperor (chief deity) on the activities of the family. Based on what Zao Jun says the Jade Emperor gives the family rewards or punishments for the coming year. Traditionally a plaque of the Kitchen God and his wife would be above the stove. To ensure good luck, offerings of food and incense are made to them.

Magnolia blossom in sun face vase with angel figurine — A simple kitchen altar

Some of my Feng Shui clients ask me to help them find a place for a personal altar as part of their spiritual practice. These altars are usually in the bedroom to support private meditation. Create a special place for spiritual centering where you can see it more often during your busy day. Borrow the Chinese tradition of a kitchen altar or spiritual reminder.

Your altar could be:

An image or figure of a divinity or special teacher
A written prayer or blessing
A plant or flower

You could place your devotional object:

By the sink to have something pleasant to meditate on while doing the dishes
By the stove to remind yourself of your gratitude for having food to cook
By the window to remind yourself of the blessings of Nature

Do you have a kitchen altar or something similar? Share your ideas and experience in a comment, below.

photo by Nieve44/Luz

Feng Shui and Touch: The Forgotten Dimension of Your Home Experience

November 29, 2011 by Linda Varone

How you picture your home is visual, but your experience of it is multi-sensory. Think of the tactile or textural experience of your home. This is even more important as winter continues to hang on and we need to snuggle in.

A Feng Shui kitchen is the heart of the home. Picture yourself gathered around a table with friends or family, or sitting on your own with a cup of coffee or tea. Contrary to what your grandmother said, elbows and forearms will be resting on the table or kitchen island. Do you relax or draw away? What is your tactile or touch experience? If the table or kitchen counter is granite, marble or glass, you will withdraw from its cold hard surface – undermining the warm emotional experience you desire from your kitchen.

Wooden topped kitchen island — A truly welcoming kitchen island

A week ago my friend, Laurie, asked me what to do with her worn kitchen island countertop. Since I love to give my opinion on design issues, I was eager to hear her question.

She has a cherry wood counter top on her kitchen island, and after twenty years it is looking worn. Another friend suggested simply adding a granite top to the wooden surface, but Laurie was not sure that was the best situation.

I asked her how she uses her kitchen island. Laurie’s family shares meals at the island and her teenagers do their homework there. Clearly her kitchen island is an important gathering place for her family.

Granite is an elegant kitchen work surface, but it is also hard and cold. A gathering table or kitchen island needs to be warm and inviting. On a subtle level a granite, marble, stone or concrete counter will be unwelcoming. Because of its cold, hard qualities, you and your family and friends will avoid it and may not know why. More importantly you will loose a gathering place in your home.

Laurie’s friend is a serious home cook and her kitchen island was not used as a gathering place. In that case granite is great.

Think of touch and texture when you are selecting items for your home. Wood is the warmest and most welcoming. Formica and Corian are practical and neutral. Stone, concrete and glass are cold and hard.

The same tactile issues apply to a kitchen or dining room table – or even a desk. Think about your total experience of the material, not just its appearance. How welcoming is a glass-topped table? Is the table a gathering place, like a coffee table or dining table? Or is it an elegant decorative piece? Think of how you are using the piece – that will guide to make the best selection for your emotional and decorating needs.

Still, ever-ready to give advice to my friend – I suggested that all she simply refinish the solid wood counter top so it doesn’t look so worn. Ideally she can work with someone who will do minimum sanding to maintain as much of the patina of the wood as possible. One of the things we love about wood is the character it develops with time and wear – just like us. 😉

Update: Visiting my friend’s home recently, she was so happy that she kept her worn and warm cherry wood kitchen island counter top – and you can see why.

One of my favorite things about winter is having an excuse to snuggle up with sweaters, quilts and throws. A quilt or throw that has been washed innumerable times until it is deliciously soft is a wonderful treat. I find that natural materials are the best for warmth and comfort. A rayon chenille throw can feel plush, but is just does not keep me warm. Wool is warmest. Quilted silk or cashmere, if you are lucky, is purr-inducing. The tactile delights of summer are soft grass under your bare feet, freshly laundered cotton and linen and the silkiness of flower petals.

photo by author

Successful Family Meal Times with Interiors Psychology

November 26, 2011 by Linda Varone

“It seems to me that our three most basic needs for food, security and love are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.” – MFK Fisher.

Our hectic lives have made dinner time into a fast food caloric refueling. Recent academic studies prove eating as a family is directly correlated with improved grades, and less involvement with drugs and alcohol among teens. Being together is the magic.

Eating at a kitchen counter is simply bringing a fast food setting into your home – families eat and run. Creating a space that invites your family to gather together is where Architectural Psychology comes in. You simply use your kitchen table, lighting, sound and a simple ritual.

Here are 5 easy steps to successful family meal times:

Sit around a table. Why a table? This is the most preferred seating arrangement. It is easiest to make eye contact. It is the most comfortable: inviting people to relax, linger and connect. What happens when people sit at a counter? Studies have shown sitting in a row is the least preferred seating arrangement tested. It could be because you have to really turn to see the person next to you. Plus perching on a kitchen stool does not encourage real relaxation.

Eating in front of the television? This is unconscious eating. A study by Tufts University correlates this with increased consumption of calories, fats, salts and sugars, and decreased intake of fruits and vegetables.

Use the magic of light to bring your family together. A chandelier or pendant light over the family table creates a warm pool of light that literally draws people in. Like people gathering around a campfire. Recessed ceiling lights or flat fluorescent panels do not create the same effect. If you do not have pendant lighting, then use candles or move the table closer to a window.

Turn down the volume. After school and the commute home, everyone is at a high pitch. When it is time to sit down to the table, turn off the television, video games, telephones (let the answering machine pick up your calls), cell phones and game boys. Lower your own speaking voice and remind your kids to use their “indoor voices”. Soft background music is optional.

A friend’s 3 year old son was so caught up in watching TV that he would rush through his dinner to get back to the television. He was falling behind on his Pediatrician’s growth chart. After we talked she decided that the TV would be off for 30 minutes to have a quiet and focused meal time. Initially Timmy protested, then he discovered the fun of having meal time with his mom. Next check-up he was back on track with his growth curve.

Start your meal time with a ritual or family tradition. Ring a chime, light candles (always supervise children around flames), say grace, hold hands with a moment of silence. A very simple gesture which has the magic of ritual is to simply pass the food around the table, family style, rather than self serve. You are literally sharing the food. Is there a family tradition you would like to adopt or revive? Go for it!

Use this golden time to teach by example. Table manners (a great life skill and confidence booster) and conversational skills such as listening and taking turns. Demonstrate attitudes of respect and caring for family members by tone of voice and helping. This is a great time to teach family values, while discussing everyday happenings and current events.

Studies have shown that girls are more sensitive to role modeling around food and eating then boys. Daughters of mothers that over eat, no matter what they say or how they try to control what their daughters eat, will tend to have weight problems of their own. Conversely daughters of mothers who modeled healthy enjoyable eating had lower rates of eating disorders.

Food, security and love are intertwined in our deepest memories. Family meals are really about sharing love in the form of time and attention. Use the insights of Architectural Psychology to create a warm gathering space for your family to share. Connect and make the everyday a moment of celebration.

picture by Violetta 73