The Kitchen and Dining Room are often the heart of the home, and an area when you are likely to spend a fair bit of time.

Your Environment is very important when it comes to your nourishment and the things you consume, and setting up your body so it resonates with the space around it will prime your body for high quality nourishment.

If we’re not in an environment that resonates with us, there is likely nothing available to ingest and consume. While this extends beyond just what we put in our mouth, it also definitely includes what we eat.

Remember this is not an exhaustive list of every way you could set up your dining space — but a collection of ideas to get you thinking differently about your space. See how many of these you’re already doing!

If you need to locate your Environment Variable, check out this post.

Reduce upper cabinets

I once saw a kitchen reno on HGTV that removed upper cabinets, and instead played with a beautiful design of live edge wood open shelving, with extremely minimal stacks of handmade bowls and coffee cups. The Kitchen was arranged with lower cabinetry, and created such an impressively grounded space that I had never thought of before. It was an incredible example of a Valleys Kitchen, and changing the nature of the space to be a beautiful artform that is still practical. You’d be surprised how many amazing kitchens don’t have upper cabinetry. Check out my board below for examples.

Display your cookbooks

Or your favourite food magazines! How might these recipes be in reach and used as part of the decor? Plugging in to an an easy source of energy in the Kitchen can make the cooking experience fun and luxurious. Try keeping your favourite cookbooks, and reference material near by, displayed neatly on an open shelf, or part of a cute vignette on your counter.

Try ample drawers

By using a high volume of drawers in the space, you’ll be able to create the perfect spot to place your utensils in an organized way; or your pantry in wide deep drawers, or your pots and pans neatly organized beneath the island. If you have the option for a bunch of open-door cabinets or drawers, experiment with a higher volume of drawers. This is every IKEA kitchens dream! Rather than reaching for something above your head, try to have as much below you as possible.

Cherish the dining space

Since Valleys People are all about their connections, how can you encourage intimacy and connection at your dining space? Does that mean splurging on an amazing dining table? A brilliant candle display in the middle of the table? Or super cozy chairs, so your best people can sit their for hours enjoying wine and games? Do something special with the dining table in your space.

Try a bench

A bench lets you scoot in around the dining table, and even sit cross legged if you want to! It’s a great way to allow yourself to fold down and consume your meal, while feeling like you’re sitting on the floor. It also has the potential to tuck away beneath your table, creating more room for free-flowing chi.

Try rounded corners

To encourage the smooth flow of chi and free-flowing energy in your kitchen and dining space, consider reducing as many “poison arrows” as possible. In Feng Shui, poison arrows are sharp corners that point at you wherever you are sitting or are located. How might you round the edges of your island or countertops, to reduce the number of sharp corners in your space?

Set the mood with music

Whether you like to listen to your cute Sonos stations or your latest fave podcast, consider bringing in high quality speakers into your dining space to set a mood during prep or meal time. Since your dining space may be somewhere you like to hang out, and it may be connected to others rooms in the home depending on your design concept, consider how you may create a high quality sound environment that permeates the whole home, making meal-time more vibey.

Don’t forget artwork

Displaying a large field of flowers, a minimal art-deco-style canvas, or grand vistas in a floating frame on the wall behind your dining table creates the feeling of being out in the open, enjoying the breeze. Strategically hang and display spacious-feeling artwork in your dining space — whatever that may mean for you. Bonus points if you can look at it while you’re cooking or eating. You want something that makes you go, “ahhhhhh” when you see it.