Why You Should Never Have A Black Front Door, According To Vastu Shastra

Vastu shastra is an ancient Indian discipline involving architecture, art, astronomy, and human spirituality. Following the architectural and design guidance of vastu shastra is said to bring wealth, health, prosperity, and happiness to your household (via Vaastu Shastra). Similar to Chinese feng shui, Indian vastu shastra focuses its principles around compass directions and the five elements, or paanchbhootas, which must be kept in balance to achieve the harmony they are said to bring.

In regard to architecture, one extremely important component in vastu shastra involves a building's front entrance. When possible, it's best to have a front entrance that faces north, northeast, or west. A perfect front door will always have a doormat, nameplate, and threshold, and the area should be well-lit to keep negative energy from passing inside, advises Housing.com. Even paint colors have an impact on the energies flowing into your space. According to vastu shastra principles, painting your front entrance the wrong color can have some serious consequences for your family's health and prosperity. Black, in particular, is a color rarely recommended anywhere in your home. Here's what could happen if you paint your front door black. 

The biggest reason to avoid painting your main entrance black is that black will bring negative energy. From the perspective of a vastu shastra practitioner, the color is associated with darkness, sorrow, repression, fear, gloom, death, and ancient evils, per The Modern Vedic. A black front door is thought to make visitors feel depressed or intimidated, and it can even attract evil, devilish energy into your home. There are very few instances where vastu shastra recommends placing black anywhere in your home because of these evil tendencies. India TV News explains that one of the only exceptions to this rule would be including a small amount of black décor in the north direction. Interestingly, black items in this area of the home are thought to improve hearing and one's ability to listen to others more carefully.

While it may not be as negative as the color black, the practice of vastu shastra dictates that it's also best to avoid red on your home's front door. Red is a high-energy color that can bring anxiety, stress, and hunger to your front doorstep. Red can also increase competition and selfishness in your home, and it makes it harder to get a good night's sleep. By the same token, other dark colors like navy blue or dark green aren't good for the main entrance either, as dark colors create sadness and arrogance. 

Now that you know what colors to avoid, are there any colors that can draw positive energy? The best color for your main entrance will primarily depend on the direction the door faces. According to Housing.com, green will bring happiness and prosperity to north-facing doors. Doors facing northeast, southwest, or northwest will benefit from being painted yellow, white, or cream. West- and east-facing doors should be white, light blue, or natural wood. Finally, southeast- and south-facing doors can pull off brighter colors like pink, orange, and even silver.   

The color of your main entrance is very important in vastu shastra, but, of course, it isn't the only thing affecting your home's energy. Divine symbols can be used as decoration to help attract positive energy and banish negative energy. You can also display statues of Ganesha or Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and good fortune, in your entryway. When you step into your home through the main entrance, ensure the space feels welcoming and bright. Homify recommends raising the vibe by placing a mirror in your front foyer along with fresh flowers, beautiful décor, and pleasant scents from candles or incense.