How to use Vastu while designing your home

Vastu expert Sujith Sukumaran shares a few cardinal rules that work for Vastu in your home.

1. Why Should Individuals/Families Look To Vastu While Planning Their Home?

Sukumaran: Fundamentally, Vastu operates on a set of cardinal principles. The rules as such vary for a plot compared to a standalone house built on a piece of land, as opposed to an apartment. These are all specific cases and a generic brush over is risky as there are quite a few variables to consider before making decisions. Some cardinal rules, however, are to prefer East facing houses, avoid a North-South configuration due to excessive polarity, avoid distress sale based purchases unless you are clear about the antecedents, etc. There is a whole different set of rules for bare land to build on as well.

2. If One Were To Choose An Apartment/Villa/Plot To Purchase, What Should They Keep In Mind According To Vastu?

The above villa in Arabian Ranches is Vastu-compliant

Sukumaran:

Entrance: If you are buying an apartment, the entrance of the block will be considered as the entrance. South or West entrance is not recommended for the afternoon infrared rays are harmful to health; entrance should be from north or northeast. There should be enough open space left around the building. 

Sunlight and cross ventilation: Proper natural light and ventilation hold great importance in Vastu, so make sure there is ample sunlight coming into the house and that the house has good cross ventilation. A North or East-facing flat with windows and balconies in either of these two directions is ideal. The morning sunlight brings positivity and is rich in ultraviolet rays. While afternoon infrared rays are harmful to health so having windows and entrance in South or west is not recommended. The windows on the south or south-western wall must be small in size with a horizontal shading device to protect the interiors from the harmful rays of the Sun. According to Vastu, the house should not have a common wall with the neighboring house, as this creates mixed energies, so open space should be left on all four sides of the building. Since sun rays are not that harmful in the North and East, more open space should be left towards the North and East side of the building as compared to the south and west sides. 

Kitchen: You should avoid buying a flat which has a kitchen in the North-East. Since this part of the building welcomes the morning sun so it is appropriate for a living room or a meditation room. The south-east corner is the ideal place for the kitchen.

Circulation inside the apartment and the complex: According to Vastu, the centre of the apartment must be light, so rooms, kitchen or toilets must not be placed in the centre. This will make the apartment look spacious and also helps in having good ventilation. Preferably a living room must be placed in the centre from where every room is accessible. 

 Circulation of the multistoried building: There should be a well-designed core to the apartment building and lift must be provided adjacent to the staircase to make the circulation easy. Moreover, it is better to have a staircase and lift in the south-west corner of the apartment building because they act as the buffer zones and help in keeping the hot sun rays away from the building’s interiors. 

 Water storage tank: Early morning sun rays are rich with ultraviolet rays which help in purifying the water. So a water tank must be placed in the north-eastern corner of the roof in a multistoried building. Preferably a plastic water tank should not be used, however, if it is plastic, it should be of some dark colour like black, blue, etc. to facilitate sun ray absorption.

Toilets and bathrooms: Toilets and bathrooms in each flat must be built in the south-west corner or the South direction. The wind direction in India all year round is north-east to the south-west. If a toilet is placed in the northeast the wind will enter the room passing through the toilet. This will contaminate the air in the rooms. Kid’s room: According to Vastu, the ideal place for the kid’s room is North- East or North West. Sun is never in the north so it is best to have a kid’s room window on the north wall. This will bring ample natural light and no harmful sun rays to the kid’s room. 

Community: The building block in the SouthWest direction must be the tallest among all the building blocks; this will help in protecting the other blocks from the harmful rays of the setting sun. The garden, play areas, and the open spaces must be in the northern or eastern side of the block. Walls of the apartments should not be black, dark blue or red as dark colours absorb sun rays and increase the internal temperature of the apartment. Generator, electric switchboards, transformer, etc. should be installed outside the apartments in the south-eastern corner. It is better to have the staircase and lift in the south-west corner of the apartment building. This is because they act as the buffer zones and help in keeping the hot sun rays away from the building’s interiors.

3. How Can One Enhance Their Home Using Vastu Principles?

Sukumaran: In terms of shape, the rooms of your house should be preferably square or rectangular.

Room Basics: Rooms should be airy, well lit, bright, and clean. This rule also extends to the corners of each room. 

Home Centre: The center of the house should be an empty space. 

Stairs and Furniture: Heavy furniture (like almirah etc.) should be kept in the South-west direction. If you are planning to build a duplex house, building stairs in this direction is a good idea. 

Water: Avoid keeping plants and water features like a water fountain, aquarium, painting depicting water, etc. in the bedroom. 

Dining Table: Ensure that your dining space is near the kitchen and not the main door. 

Mirror Placement: Placing a mirror in the bedroom that reflects the sleeping couple is a strict no-no. If at all you place a mirror in the bedroom, ensure that the bed cannot be seen in it.