Feng Shui your bathroom

In addition, hide the toilet in a recess or behind the door if you can, so it's never the first thing you see on entering the bathroom. (If you've ever been to the bathroom in someone else's house and had to spend a few moments looking for the toilet, that's the effect to aim for.) Remember to keep the bathroom door shut to protect the rest of the house from the draining energy in the room.

If the bathroom is above your kitchen, try to avoid having the toilet over the oven because the toilet's water energy will clash with the oven's fire energy. If you already have a toilet here, use earthy flooring such as terracotta, limestone or slate; its energy will block the water.

The benefits of wet rooms
Wet rooms (walk-in showers), which are becoming increasingly popular, are actually beneficial in feng shui terms because they let dirty water drain away immediately while you're washing, as opposed to baths and shower trays, which hold on to the water. If you're planning to build a wet room, choose surfacing and non-slip flooring that symbolizes earth, such as limestone, slate, granite or terracotta.

The power of light
Natural light is important in a bathroom because it helps to stabilize and freshen the chi. Often, however, especially with small toilet rooms, there are no windows at all. In any bathroom, especially one with no windows, you need good lighting. Ceiling-mounted halogen lights minimize shadows, while spotlight racks of three or five lights can be used to correct problem areas. Point the spotlights at the door, toilet, sink, bathtub and shower, symbolically 'pushing them apart' and thus reducing their power on the energy of the room.

Perfect plumbing
Keep your bathroom fixtures in good condition and fix any plumbing problems, such as dripping water or leaks. Aside from the practical benefits, getting a plumber in is a worthwhile investment for feng shui because it will help to stop any needless outflow of energy.

Earthy colours
Use earth colours and symbols throughout the bathroom. Earthy colours give a warm, welcoming feel, and will give the strong protection you need to stop chi from being distorted and drained away.

For walls, tiling, flooring and fixtures, choose colours such as yellow, terracotta, caramel, stone, pink, peach, apricot and plum. Even accessories such as face cloths, bathrobes, towels and shower curtains in these colours will be helpful. If you wish to use patterns, keep them as simple as possible, and limit yourself to two or three main colours. Get the colours right and you'll feel the warmth.

Protective accessories
An especially good way to stimulate beneficial earth energy is to decorate your bathroom with earthy accessories. You could have stone or terracotta dishes or pots, filled with pretty, rounded pebbles, and nightlights and candles in earthy colours. You can also place attractive pebbles in plugholes, when a bathtub or basin is not in use, to prevent small losses of energy; just choose pebbles large enough not to slip down the drain.

Often, in feng shui, you're told that plugs should be placed in plugholes, but pebbles do the job much better. If you develop a leaky tap (faucet) when you're not at home, the pebble will still allow water to flow away, but a plug will let stagnant water collect.