As a Feng Shui Consultant in New York and Long Island, I am often asked questions about how Feng Shui relates to bathrooms. Feng Shui is often very literal in the way we think of and SEE things and in Feng Shui, we think of DRAINS.
We are more careful about bathrooms because we do believe in drain energy. Some Feng Shui Consultants warn that an improperly placed bathroom can lead to enormous issues in life. And that's often what we were taught by a number of teachers. Then again, there are Western methods in Feng Shui to deal with these issues which are simple to do and inexpensive. We don't tell our clients to move (hopefully) as that is impractical (and impossible) for many.
We don't, on the other hand, want anything to "go down the DRAIN." In thinking about bathrooms, we deal with where they are and make some standard suggestions. You might want to try them:
Keep the Door CLOSED: Sometimes an issue with children, we do recommend you keep the bathroom doors closed to contain the drain energy. Then again, there are many cat lovers out there and it has to be kept open. In my perspective (and mine only : ), do not change their litter space. Keep it open for Fluffy and remember that bathrooms are also a Water Energy so you are now adding FIRE there. **Be sure to check the other elements, you want a balance!
Put the Seat DOWN: There's a lot of flushing going on, it's best to keep the seat down when not in use. Again, you may have to remind the kids (and sometimes hubby) but they learn.
Put a plant ON the TANK: When you add a plant (with round leaves, please) on top of the tank you are intentionally adding Life Force and deflecting the flow of energy upward. If you don't have a window for a live plant, use a silk one, not dried !
Do NOT have a MIRROR REFLECT any DRAINS: In Feng Shui, when a mirror reflects anything you are doubling and intensifying the Energy. You absolutely do not want to DOUBLE the drain energy in your space! Mirror, Mirror----WAIT! Don't Hang Me Yet!! by Feng Shui Long Island
Always check what your bathroom mirror is reflecting: We ALL have mirrors in bathrooms and we need them. What I've seen most often is that the standard mirror over the sink often reflects a BLANK WALL. Now you are doubling the energy of.....Nothing. Bring COLOR into the bathroom, both to enliven the space and to add the elements. You'll be surprised what some simple and inexpensive changes can occur in your life from a Feng Shui perspective.
**Here's one You DON'T want to SEE (but will, anyway): 
It happens more often then not and until builders become in tune with Feng Shui, you'll come across it. If YOU happen to have it, Don't Panic! Feng Shui was NOT meant to scare you, just to enlighten you. . I recently came across this in a Feng Shui Consultation on Long Island, in Levittown. A lovely small apartment whose first view was of the bathroom. The window is also there, where in a Feng Shui Consultant's Eyes means that all that wonderful, new energy you are receiving through your Front Door (also called the Mouth of Chi) is going right back OUT again.
**Photo taken from the Front Door.
Feng Shui Crystal Photo by Laura Cerrano Feng Shui Consultant
Thank goodness for Western methods! I recommended that she absolutely should keep the door closed (no pets here) and use two crystals which can diffuse energy. One in the window in the bathroom and one in the hallway (usually recommended anyway because hallways contain many doors-which in Feng Shui represent VOICES).
Simple Feng Shui Tips for Any bathroom; now take a look at YOURS and use some Feng Shui Eyes! FENG SHUI EYES by Feng Shui Long Island, New York City
**Copyright Feng Shui Bathroom by Feng Shui Long Island New York Consultant 8/28/08--ALL rights reserved
**Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island providing on site Feng Shui Consultations for New York City (Manhattan) and all of Long Island for Homes, Apartments, Businesses, Corporations, Renovations and New Construction. Carole also provides Lectures and Workshops on Feng Shui Principles. Laura Cerrano is a Feng Shui Consultant and co founder of Feng Shui Long Island who practices in Manhattan and New Paltz New York. http://www.FengShuiLI.com
Carole-Well nice to know my little house (not itty bitty ,just little) doesn't have that particular problem. Bathroom is in the hall and you walk into the living room. I have always wanted a nice entry, but house doesn't have one. Crystals...didn't know that. I learn a lot from your blogs...thanks :)
Carole ~ I didn't know that about the bathroom door. We keep the lids down on all our toilets. My 1/2 bath that is downstairs, when you come in my front door that bathroom is right in the visual line of the door (looking straight across the foyer). So, I should close that door over then (?).
this one makes sense. the crystal one is interesting.
I have no windows in my bathroom....just opens up and into a short hall to the bedroom. I like all the open space I have......it airs out 'stuff' lol!
Carole, in my master bath, the mirror reflects the wall, but I have a wonderfully colorful print hanging there that I get to enjoy the reflection of. In the hall bath the mirror just reflects the shower curtain - how do you address that?
HI Carole,
Thanks for the enlightenment! I definitely learned some things from your blog that I was unaware of (like the mirror reflecting a blank wall, and the plant on the top of the tank having rounded leaves..).
I love the picture of the crystal that Laura took! It's amazing the way the crystal was catching the light! And I loved the clouds as a background! Did she take the picture while she was holding the crystal, or was someone else holding it? Your daughter is really so talented...but then again, so is her mom!
Val
Carole: I didn't know this about Feng Shui but I can tell you that I do every one of these things. It's just a feeling I get which is not a good one when a bathroom door is open for example, or I can see the bathroom from the great room or front door. Just hate that, always have. I'm wondering how having a window in the bathroom affects the energy. I do not like a bathroom without a window. Am I wrong to have that?
I am one of those guys who always puts the toilet seat down! No, I'm not well trained, I just can't stand the thought of a dog to drinking out of it...YUK! Okay so I have a tall carved wiseman figure on the back of my toilet, what do you think? Oh no, there is no danger of him falling...LOL! I also always keep my bath curtain closed. As for the crystals, I think they are great! You know those huge glass doorknobs you find in old houses? There was one in the house I grew up in as a child that would easily come of and I used to play with it all the time; pretending it was treasure! Now that was fun!
Carole... very interesting. Just as you learn from me, I so learn from you. You make some great points here. The plant on the tank was interesting. And yes, even though I am a guy, I always put the seat down. I amaze women that notice that and that I have hand soap on the sink and tissues... lol I guess many single men don't? lol
Carole, I know in properly staging the bathroom they say to put the lid down on the toilet but your bathroom advice is quite extensive. Thanks.
Hi Carole...Great Post on Bathrooms..In our On-suite off the Master bedroom, we have an outside window(that opens) above the toilet(with blinds on the window), our Mirror above the sink reflects the window? Yes we already keep the lid down and drains closed, forgot about the door, it's a slider and we leave it open especially at night so as to not wake each other up....not sure how to address this?
Thanks again for sharing with us all.
Hi Carole,
This is really interesting stuff. I have never understood Feng Shui but you make the concepts easy to understand and you provide practical solutions to issues that might be expensive and impractical to address in a house. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.
Good morning Carole,
I never realized that bathrooms are an area where feng shui could be particularly troublesome until I got to know you and started to learn about mirrors and drains. My bathroom mirror faces a wall on which I've hung a pretty painting of spring flowers, however I didn't know about keeping the bathroom door closed and the seat down. Hmmm....guess I'll have to work on that.
Jo
Carole: This is a great Feng Shui post about bathrooms with lots of great information. One of the things I recommend to my clients is to keep drains closed (obviously when not in use) or if it is a frequently used drain, to cover it with a sea shell. The shell is a good solution because it can get wet (duh!) and it looks pretty. It also adds a little bit of fire (animal) energy. Thank you for this post. I have to pay a little more attention to my bathrooms.
Kathy, With the loss of my basement my house has returned to Itsy Bitsy size! I don't have these particular problems but I've seen them and thought I'd make people aware (if they weren't) of what we consider drain energy.
Kathy P., You absolutely should close that door. Bathrooms can (from a Feng Shui Perspective) drain everything...finances & health included.
Huiting, Thank you for your comment.
Sally, You won't like this but drain energy when you're sleeping? NOT a good thing to do, it's when your body is most "open." I would tell you to close that door!
Lisa, I love color, I would just use a very colorful shower curtain and you can get all the elements in as well when you do that.
Val, That was Laura's hand and her idea. She's darn good at not only Feng Shui but photography as well :)
Donna, It's called "intuitive" Feng Shui and some people have it and aren't even aware of it. Windows let the OUTSIDE in, they are good to have! This is just using a remedy (a crystal) to difuse the energy if we need to depending on where the window is.
Rich, I'd leave it, it's a wood element and it certainly "backs you up." I'd still add a plant as well to add some life force into a drain area. Btw, my house is filled with those old glass doorknobs---it's WAY over 100 years old and I love them!
Jeff, I'm sad to say they don't! I've been in some bathrooms that make me want to run :(
Gary, Things in Feng Shui can be very literal at times. The bathroom has lots of drains so we are careful about addressing this room (as well as all the others!).
Fred, I'd try some WD-40 and keep the door closed. Drain energy, particularly at night (and only from a Feng Shui perspective) can drain health as well---which no one wants. Just as I said to Sally, I'd keep it closed.
Paddy, I try to make a very complicated subject easy enough for people to understand the reason and then try it. I'm not always successful but there are so many misconceptions AND perspectives, these posts are only my thoughts.
Jo, Keep it closed and the seat down---it is an important principle in Feng Shui and one of the few that almost ALL consultants from any school of thought would agree with.
Michelle, We were cross commenting. I love your idea of the seashell and will use it, thank you for sharing that. I am careful with drain energy and sure you are as well---and am always learning so thank you for the tip!!
Great post! Is this a feng shui public bathroom ?"Here's a cool public toilet idea where the outside walls appear to be mirrors but on the inside the walls appear as glass where you feel like you are being watched."
Wow thanks for all the great tips! I just informed my husband we were doing it the "Feng Shui Way" and to put the lid down on the toilet. Now maybe this will cure the "put the toilet seat down" problem! Thank you. :)
Carole - thank you so much for the bathroom tips! I would have never thought of these things, but in retrospect they make absolute sense.
On question ... where does one get Feng Shui crystals?
Hi Carole...Thanks for your advise, I'll work on keeping the door closed at night, I've been keeping the bathroom closed all day since reading this post. Once again Thanks for Sharing!
That was interesting, and I will keep some of those principles in mind from now on.
Carol: I really like that and it makes perfect sense to me, Intuitive Feng Shui. I love the crystal. You have such an interesting career. Thank you for answering my question about a window in the bathroom. It's funny how I have always felt a bit uncomfortable in a bathroom that has no windows and now I know why.
Fernando, That is the WORST bathroom I have ever seen! I would HATE the feeling of being watched and can't imagine who thought that one up! Ugh..........
Janice, Good, I'm SO glad to hear you're implementing Feng Shui in your home! You will notice as you go along a shift in the energy and I hope you let us know.
Carol, I think Feng Shui makes sense too. Unfortunately it somehow got confused with so many misconceptions and misunderstandings along the way. I used to sell these crystals but don't have any left, I would look on Ebay OR lighting stores which sometimes have very inexpensive crystals....or you can try a wonderful place called http://www.TheFengShuiEmporium.com where they sell lots of quality items.
Fred, You don't want ANYTHING drained....money and health issues are two I always think of. I won't speak for Katerina but I'll bet she keeps bathroom doors closed as well.
Georgina, Good, they are simple enough and can really make a big difference.
Donna, Some of my clients are amazed themselves when I can actually SHOW them that they've adressed many things in Feng Shui on their own! And it's a confirmation for them that what they FELT was right!