Practical Feng Shui Tips on Choosing the Best Dining Room Table
Oh, my did you see the photos that Bridget chick posted of her dining room? I don’t know how she calls herself a Feng Shui Expert? That photos breaks all the Feng Shui rules! I read on….. I don’t know some blog that a dining room should only have a round table and that you should never have mismatched chairs at the head of the table!
Hmmm, let’s round this up
Round tables are considered best Feng Shui as they lean towards equality and open communication amongst those seated. But the truth of the matter is the most formal dining rooms, and open concept spaces are not designed with the square footage to accommodate round tables big enough to seat more than 4 people.
As is the case with our dining area. So I made the best choice to accommodate both our square footage and our needs by upcycling an oval 7-foot solid oak table purchased from Kijjiji.
The size of the round table I would need to accommodate 8 people would be far too big for our space and congest the flow throughout the entire back of our home and block the door to the deck. So I chose the next best thing which is an oval with rounded edges.
Our space is narrow, so the oval was the best fit for our needs. Square and rectangle tables tend to have sharp corners and may feel uncomfortable to move around. They are often best suited for large expansive space where there is less of a risk of bumping into a sharp corner.
The Head of the Table
So they do say that it is less than excellent Feng Shui to have what has been called The Captain’s Chair or Queen and King Chair at the ends of the table as it implies a hierarchy among those seated. Although this may be true to an extent, we must first look at the mundane, practical and energetics of both the space and the relationship dynamics among the family members.
Here’s the mundane; our dining room set came with 6 chairs. We need a minimum of 8 seats, and as our family grows, we will need more. For now, the printed fabric chairs flanking the ends of the table are the best choice for our space because the solid back and height of the chairs offer support and protection for my honey who sits with his back to the window as this position gives him the command position and a view of the front door, (yes, another no-no, but I’ve got this covered as well) and for myself this chair offers me the same protection as I do not have command of the front door, but I do have command of the back door. So, in essence, we have each other’s backs which is true for our relationship. We work in harmony together not in opposition.
As for the hierarchy, in our home, there is no inequality within our family although we are the matriarchal and patriarchal’s symbols to our children and our grandchildren. We love unconditionally and have always invited open communication. Our home and table is and will always be a safe place, we as the parents and grandparents not only have each other’s backs we have those of our children and grandchildren as well.
That being said I have in the past recommended to my female client’s who have struggled to have their voices heard or of whom have had difficulty stepping into their personal power to change where they sit at the table. I do not recommend that the lady of the house give up her place at the end of the table to her teen or grown son. The power struggle that develops with this arrangement can be heartbreaking and disempowering for the mother. It can also create an imbalance between the husband and wife, where the father and son become the dominate swinging the household into a patriarchal environment.
