The Chinese believe you should not be distracted from the food or the company during a meal because eating feeds the body and the spirit.
Do put images of food and fruit in the East area of your dining room to represent the abundance and sustenance that you want to attract to your table and home.
Don’t hang pictures of birds or other feathered creatures, as this will create an imbalance in yang energy.
Do use comfortable chairs so diners take their time to eat, digest well and communicate with one another. Ideally, chairs should have good back rests and arms.
Don’t leave or store cleaning supplies in the dining room. They symbolize the “cleaning out” of one’s income, good health, nutrition and prosperity.
Do place chairs with their backs to the wall rather than to the windows and doors.
Don’t have an uneven number of chairs at the dining table. Even numbers represent luck and uneven numbers represent loneliness.
Do choose to sit at a round or octagonal dining table. If you have a square or rectangular table make sure no one gets a corner. The negative chi could cause digestive problems or bad temper.
Don’t have the dining room too near the front door. The family will be preoccupied with eating and guests will eat and run.
Do have two doorways to the dining room. This allows chi to flow freely in and out of the space.
Don’t have the dining room attached to a family room or living room. If this is unavoidable create a separate space by using screens or plants, this will help block distractions.
