Stairway to Failure: Use Feng Shui to Fix Front Doors that Open to Stairs
This is a common issue I see in many homes.
About the only good Feng Shui in this home’s front door is the welcome mat!
Forces at Work
Having a front door open immediately to a stairway is going in the direction of financial failure, whether you are a home builder or a homeowner.
Here is the problem as it relates to Feng Shui: the gravity force of Chi energy coming down the stairs is greater than the incoming Chi from the door.
This symbolizes the loss of income and wealth, but also impacts all aspects of Feng Shui. Whether you are the home builder or the homeowner, this is bad news.
Remember that the front door is always the Career & Life Path area of your home.
Feng Shui Cures
Now, I have solutions for home builders when I work with their designers.
But, what if you already own a home with such stairways or are seriously considering buying such a property where this is the only flaw? Certainly remodeling to move the stairs isn’t practical.
The cure is to hang a crystal or a wind chime from the ceiling halfway between the base of the stairs and the front door. The effect of this is to diffuse and spread the Chi as it comes down the stairs, preventing it from rushing out the front door with the incoming energy along with it.
By the way, the concern with the stairs is greatest when the distance between the door and stairs is less than double the height of the tallest person in the home.
Next Steps
Find out more about the Feng Shui consulting I provide for home builders and homeowners.
Have you noticed income problems in homes with a front door opening to the stairs? Leave your comments below.
For more help, contact me right now to inquire about a Feng Shui Space Clearing or a Virtual Feng Shui Consultation.
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How far down from the ceiling does the crystal/wind chime need to be? I have a sloped ceiling where the apex in above the stairs/front door and don’t think I could reach the ceiling using a normal ladder. My front door has a window directly above it with a 30cm space between the two. Would a mirror here help me?
Thanks Jessie, you site has been very helpful.
Coral
Thank you for visiting my website.
You can hang a crystal or wind chime in multiples of 3. Okay measurements would include 3 cm, 6 cm, 9 cm or 3 in, 6 in, 9 in.
You can have a bagua mirror facing the stairs in between your door and the window above the door.
Best of luck!
Hi, my front door is facing the stairs, what should I do?
Is it okie to put a shoe rack? And on the very top of the stairs I put real plant?
Yes, Joan. In fact, though my stairs are not right behind my door, I have a shoe rack between the two. I feel this helps break up the energy a bit. A real plant at the top and even the bottom of the stairs could help, as well.
Hi Joan! Thank you for contacting me! One cure is to hang a crystal or a wind chime from the ceiling about halfway between the base of the stairs and the front door. Please contact me if you would like any more specific advice. Good luck!
What a wonderful website! Thank you!
Our front door opens right onto the staircase leading upstairs (which is open and with a metal railing). I have hung a crystal in the small space and placed a fish tank at the bottom of the steps. I have a big landscape photo on the wall heading up the stairs. However, it just does not “feel” right.
Thank you so much for any advice!
Hello Aimee,
First thing, when your staircase faces the front door, you need to slow down the draining energy by placing “road blocks” for the energy that is going out the door.
You can add a red rug at the landing of the stairs, as well as at the front door. You have already created one road block by adding a crystal at the bottom of the stairs, which is good.
A fish tank by the front door is usually good. When it’s at the bottom of the staircase, however, it can effect the health of the young ones at home.
If the staircase is in the middle part of your home, then you can place some candles by the stairs to weaken the metal energy that is digging into the earth (Health Area of the home’s Bagua) and/or a tall plant to lift the energy back up.
The landscape picture is great to have in a home where the front door faces a solid wall as you walk in.
You may want to hang family pictures along the wall going up the stairs to draw the energy up. However, do not place family pictures there if they face the front door directly.
If you would like a thorough and personalized consultation, we can go through all areas of your home via video chat with a mobile device. Click here for more information. I would love to help you make all of your home feel right.
Sincerely,
Jessie Kim
Thank you so very much for the help! It is so very very appreciated!!
Great site! There is a T section that is right in front of my house. The gate leads to stairs( quit steep) that lead to dubble frontdoor. I have placed a windchime by the frontdoor. Have removed some pointed plants next to the door entrance. Is there anything else I can do to improve the chi entering my house? Thnx!!
Christy: Thank you for the question.
You can also hang a Bagua mirror over the front door to reflect the T-intersection energy back out.
If you don’t want to hang a Bagua mirror, then you can hang a flag that points to the T-intersection as well.
Im glad I came across your website! The stairs in our home are in direct alignment with our front door. The space between the first step and the actual door is roughly 5 feet. We have a chandelier which hangs between the first step and the door,and I’ve hung a crystal on the chandelier because ive read that this is one form of remedy. Is it ok to hang the crystal on the chandelier or should I move it? We also have a window above the front door but we’ve covered the glass panel with frosted window film. Is there anything else that could help in this space? Any advice is much appreciated! Thank you!!!
Lorraine:
Yes, hanging the crystals on the chandelier is a good start. If there is a room for a red rug, it would be good to place a red rug at the bottom of the stairs to stop the energy from draining out to the front door. If your front door is solid wood then it’s okay to have a window above the door, as long as the window isn’t bigger then the front door.
If you would like a more detailed personalized consultation, please feel free to contact me. I do provide In-Home Consultations or Virtual Consultations via Skype. Good luck!
I live in a 3 level home. The front door opens to a small foyer and split entry. Going down goes to a garage on 1 side and recreation room on the other… Going up leads to living room on 1 side a kitchen/dining room on the other side.. Now my question how do i create a positive energy? Thank u for your help…
Hi May! Thank you for touching base with your concern. Home builders love to integrate this split entry design into homes because it is an efficient use of space. Unfortunately, it is a big Feng Shui no-no. Just as with a simple stairway, you need to start by breaking up the energy and help disburse it through your home. Again, hang a Feng Shui crystal or wind chime in the middle of the foyer. You need to go about nine steps further, however. To boost the energy, you’ll need to Feng Shui every room in your house. Get started by reading about the Feng Shui Bagua and follow the advice of each area. If you need help, contact me for a consultation. Good luck!
Hi,
I bought a new home where the stairs are facing to the front door. Stairs overlap half way to the front door. Door width is 92″ and the stair width is 49″. That means the stair overlap a little more than the half way of the door. Is this an issue and how to cure this issue? Please advice.
Thanks,
Preth
Preth: I think you should be fine as long as you generally follow the advice of this post.
Hi, glad we found your website! Our front door is in direct alignment to the short stairs (3 steps) that leads to our kitchen and then to the back window!! We plan to buy a crystal chandelier + red rug to place at the bottom of the stairs. What can we do to slow down the energy to “fly out” of the back window? Also, we have a window above our front door (door is made of wood)—the window is wider than the door but not taller. Overall though the window is smaller than the door. Is it ok?
Harry: Sorry for the delayed response. I would suggest window treatments for both windows.
We have a 120 year old house that has a wooden staircase that leads straight to our front door. The staircase has a small landing then turns and goes up a few more steps our upstairs area. At the bottom of the staircase we have a chandelier that hangs about midway between the door and stairs. We have a black rug in front of the door inside and out. I have my children’s pictures hanging on the wall (this faces inward -not to the door). 2 questions – Does it matter what kind of crystal to hang from the ceiling and anything else that needs to be done to fix this problem? Thanks!
Laura: You can also add red rugs at the bottom of the stairs and by the door to create an energy “stop” sign. This will slow energy from draining out of the house. It doesn’t matter what type of crystals you use, as long as they are shiny and they reflect lots of light and sparkle to excite the energy upwards. All the best!
Hi Jessie,
I just bought a home where the stairway is right at the front door. We are building a lockable and opaque gate in the front of the house. I plan to place a small crystal light fixture above the front door entry and place a red rug on the floor. I won’t have room for a plant at the top or bottom of the stairs, but was wondering if I can place family pictures going up the wall of the stairway and can I place them to the right of the door? Should I place a mirror to the right of the door instead? Thank you!
Julie: You can hang family pictures there but make sure that the pictures are not facing directly toward the front door. Doing so would represent your family leaving the house and staying away. Also, you may hang mirrors there, but not if they face the front door. You don’t want to bounce the energy right back out into the streets.
Hi. So I just bought a house which I love and the only thing wrong is the stairs facing the door. However, the door and stairs are not directly aligned. The stairs is located right next to the wall and it is 37″ wide and the door is 3″ from that side of the wall and it is 41″ wide which means the door is just on the right of the stairs by 8″. So, is the Feng shui still really bad.? Would you suggest me to move the door because I have a closet next to the door which I can remove and move the door over to the closet?
What would you suggest? Thank you so much for your advice.
No, your Feng Shui isn’t really bad. Having the stairs face the door isn’t the ideal thing to have, but yours is just few inches that lines up with the door. Without having to move the entire doorway, all you need to do is place a red rug at the bottom of the staircase and/or at the inside of the doorway to stop the energy from flowing out the door. Best of luck, Ava!
Hi,
I am renting a suite which is located below and the front door opens up to the back of the stairs which the tenant upstairs used. If the crystal, mirror or chimes are used in between the door facing the stairs, what would you recommend when the door opens up to the back of the stairs?
Thanks,
Jammeelyn
Jammeelyn: I would make sure that there is a light fixture there to brighten it up. Or if there is space, place a small table with plants and/or a light. Without having seen the whole space, all I can recommend is to make sure that it’s not a dark space. You want it to be something you want to look at when you open the front door.
Hi Jessie,
We just bought a house and the design suddenly changed due to additional toilet under the stairs. Now the staircase is directly facing the front door and to one of the beddroom door going up. Need your advise please. Thanks
Archie
Archie: Without having seen your home, the best thing you can do is add a red mat at the bottom of the staircase and at the top of the staircase. This creates a “stop” sign for the energy. Just make sure that the mat at the top of the staircase is properly secured and doesn’t have any edges that stick up. The last thing you want is for Feng Shui to trip you down the stairs!
my bedroom door faces stairs that face a wall at the bottom how do i remedy this please thanks
You can place a red door mat or a red runner at the top of the stairs and/ or at the bottom of the stairs to create an energy “stop” sign.
Hello,
My Living Room Staircase is situated in North of the House. And many say that it should not be in the North of the House. Please suggest.
When you are following the compass school of Feng Shui, it’s usually incorporating your birthday to figure out which direction is best for you. Even then, if having your stairs to the favorable direction to your birthday, if they face the front door, it’s still bad. I would have to see the whole house to figure out if that staircase is really bad for your home or not… just because it’s facing one direction doesn’t make it good or bad… there are multiple things to consider when you are working with Feng Shui.
Hi, this is a very good article. My main front door is opposit aour stairs. i bought a ceiling light with crystals on it but not the crystals that are dangling or the one that moves. Is this alright or do i need to have a crystal that movesAnother thing is our neighbors main door is aligned our door. What is the cure for this?
The crystals do not have to move. With the alignment of the doors, you could have a wind between the doors or you could hang a Bagua mirror from inside your door area with the mirror facing the neighbor.
Hi. We have a newer passive solar house whose main door faces west (but is not the front of the house – which faces south). When you enter the door, there is a small landing of about 5 feet before you have stairs that go DOWN to a walk-out basement. This means that from the front door, you have a stairwell but see a solid wall at line of sight. I assume a red mat at the door is appropriate, but would something on that wall (also, sloped ceiling so it’s quite a massive tall and narrow wall up to the ceiling) help create positive flow?
Yes, on that wall, try a picture or painting with an open field that you would like to walk through. No water pictures where the water would pour out the door. Try spring or summer scenes (nothing lifeless like a snowy scene, falling leaves, etc.).
Hi please help Jessie Kim !
Right when you open my front door its directly towards my stairway, which leads right into a wall and then you have to make a turn which then leads straight up into a room. The distance between the stairway and the front door is not that far, it’s a small foyer. What should I do? Im moving in next week, I really need your help. I heard a few plants boost up the energy as well, my stairways is kind of in the middle too. Can I put two plants on each side of the double sided doors? please reply
-Leslie
Yes, you could place plants, as well as a red rug. Also, try adding up-lights along the stairs. Keep it well-lit to the top. If you hit a wall at the top of the stairs, try a painting on that wall (spring or summer field is preferable; nothing dead).
My bedroom door is directly in front of the stairs At the bottom of the stairs is a small space with a wall. Are there any fixes for this other than a red carpet?
Thanks
Try hanging a crystal or a crystal chandelier between your bedroom and the top of the stairs.
Hi Jessie,
I have a question regarding indirect main door to staircase situation. Below is the simple draft floor plan for easier explanation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7aP5Y_u4F3qQU5PTlRYQlFjYjA/view?usp=sharing
Do you think this indirect main door facing to staircase is a problem?
Don’t worry about this one. Not a problem in my mind.