Want your guests to feel at ease — and for any family tension to (literally) flow out the doors this holiday season? Give your home a zen makeover with these tips from feng shui master practitioner Debra Duneier.
Try a round table
The holidays are centered around food, so it’s important that mealtime goes as smoothly as possible. “This is the perfect season to be seated at a round or oval table for meals,” she says. “Sitting in the round enables everyone to see each other and easily get involved in conversation. Everyone is valued equally regardless of age or influence, since no one is seated in the power position at the head of the table.
This seating arrangement assures a lively and engaging dinner party.” If you don’t have a round or oval table, Duneier recommends keeping your guests away from the corners to prevent any feelings of unease.
Smell sweet
One of the first things you notice when you step into a home is its smell. Use candles or essential oils to infuse your home with a sense of the holidays, Duneier recommends. Lavender or lemon scents create a calm environment; light your candles an hour to an hour and a half before guests arrive.
Declutter your Ming Tang
“Your Ming Tang, or entrance, is where you go from outdoor energy to indoor energy,” says Duneier. “If you block the entrance with clutter, you send a message that you don't have room for people and
opportunities to come into your life. It blocks energy from entering our space.”