The Influence of Open Spaces in our Home

Spaces play a significant role in the lives of every individual. Whether it’s your home or workplace, you are easily influenced by the properties and characteristics of a particular place or dwelling. An open area is no less in this regard. It affects the lives of the inhabitants of a property and also influences the different aspects of their lives.

So, what exactly is an open space? Do the enclosed lawn in your home and the small shaft area in your apartment represent open areas? They do! Do they have an impact on your mind? Can they influence the way you perceive your surroundings and perform in your everyday life? No matter how absurd it may sound, but the open areas in your home have an equally powerful impact on your life- both personal and professional as that of any other areas. They can either prove positive or negative in your life depending on their use and the correct position of an open area also becomes a necessity in some homes and offices.

What is an Open Space in a Home?

In simpler terms, open areas are spaces that are not occupied by any part of the building and are generally open at the top. They may include the left out space in an apartment for ventilation or piping purpose such as the shaft or the well-tendered lawns or courtyards. Some of the popular open spaces in Indian homes include the open central courtyard in traditional houses; veranda outside the main building in modern residences and also a balcony in cases of apartments and duplexes.

What is the Influences of Open Spaces?

Space is the element of contention for the open areas of a property. Any form of imbalance in the element can have varying effects on the lives of the inhabitants of the property. Just like any other built up space, an open area has different effects on one’s life depending on the Vastu zone or direction in space where these open areas are present.

For instance, if the shafts are cutting out the North East zone or the South West zone of the house, they generally have a negative effect on the lives of the residents. This is because the shafts are generally not in use and are rendered ineffective in the main structure.

Similarly, green plants or garden area in the West, South West and even the West South West zones of the house are considered non-compliant with Vastu. The ‘green’ colour for the garden or lawn in general symbolizes the "Air" element and the presence of this colour in the aforementioned zones results in adverse effects in the family such as friction among the members, marital discord or differences in personal relationships. Therefore, it is advisable to validate the existence of an open space in a particular zone depending on the balance of the elements in that zone.

Which is the Best Direction for your Balcony?

In general, a balcony is considered Vastu-compliant for a home since it is in regular use unlike a shaft. One can beautify their balcony with plants to usher in positivity into their lives and also for enhancing the aesthetic values of the exteriors. The best directions for a balcony in the house include West, North East and East. However, it is best to avoid keeping plants in the West zone balcony.

What is the Best Place for your Garden or Lawn?

Lawns and open gardens symbolize growth and they are considered positive in terms of Vastu. The North is considered ideal for open gardens; however, the East and the South East are also favourable for greenery or lawns. One also needs to be ensure that the garden area is not developed in the West, the South West or the West South West zones of the house.

If you are planning to buy a new property or you are worried over the selection of the best zones for different rooms in your new house, you must also pay careful attention to the right zone selection for the open spaces as well. If possible, carefully select the direction for each space in the plot. However, for an apartment, use Vastu Shastra for balancing the elements in a zone and to reap the best benefits from your home.

The writer, Prof. Dhanwant Singh, CEO of MahaVastu Bengaluru, is also the Founder & Chancellor of the APEX Professional University, Arunachal Pradesh.

Contact: +91 080 23615442, 23615559

ask.blr@mahavastu.com.

A MahaVastu Expert, Professor Singh is the Founder & Chancellor of the Apex Professional University, Arunachal Pradesh.