Is a Front Door in Line With a Back Door Bad Feng Shui?
Most practitioners say yes. When the front door lines up with a back door or a rear sliding door, the energy that comes in the front is said to run straight out the back without settling in the home. It is one of the rules buyers raise most often, and one of the easiest to see on a floor plan.
It is the first of the six layout checks behind the feng shui friendly label on Dudils, explained in the guide to feng shui house plans. Schools of feng shui differ on many of these rules, so treat this as a layout check, not a full reading by a practitioner.
Why does feng shui warn against doors in a straight line?
Because chi is meant to wander through a home, slowing down in the rooms where people live. A straight run from the front door to the back door is a fast path, and practitioners describe the home as losing its energy, and in some readings its money, out the back.
The rule is about an open line of sight and travel from one door to the other, not just about two doors sitting on opposite walls.
What does an architect see in a front door lined up with a back door?
Wind, a lack of privacy and a long hall. On a windy day the two open doors make a wind tunnel through the house. A visitor at the front door can see right through to the backyard and the family room. And the hall that joins them is usually long and narrow, which takes floor area from the rooms either side.
A cross breeze is worth having, but it does more good through the living areas than down an entry corridor.
How is the door line check read on a floor plan?
It passes when there is no straight, open line from the front door to a back door or a rear slider. A wall, a turn in the hall or a room between them breaks the line. It fails when you could stand at the front door and look straight out through a rear door or glass slider. If the drawing does not show the doors clearly, the check is marked unclear and the label stays off.
How do you fix a front door in line with a back door?
Break the line between them. A screen, a slatted partition or a piece of joinery at the entry does it without closing up the space. A solid front door instead of a glass one helps, and so does a rug and a console table or a large plant in the hall to slow the path. Some practitioners also hang a wind chime or a crystal between the doors.
At the design stage the best fix is a turn in the entry, so the hall opens to one side rather than straight through to the yard. Ask the builder to price it before you sign.
Common questions
Does a sliding door count as a back door?
Yes, for this check. A rear glass slider is the most common way a floor plan ends up with a straight view from the front door to the backyard.
Is it a problem if the doors line up with a wall between them?
No. The rule is about an open line from one door to the other. If a wall, a room or a turn in the hall sits between them, the check passes.
Is it still bad feng shui if I keep the back door closed?
Practitioners differ. Most still suggest breaking the line with a screen or furniture, because the rule is about the layout rather than how often the door is open.