Living with fengshui

Geomancy Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong practises what he preaches, as evidenced in his new home.

TEXT Hong Weixi

PHOTOGRAPHY Yoong Choon Hwa

Those looking to buy a new house or renovate their current abode may want to consider cultivating some good fengshui. Understanding how to apply the principles can be a daunting task for firsttimers though, so we speak to Singapore’s very own fengshui Grand Master Tan Khoon Yong, Chief Geomancer of Way Fengshui Group, who recently moved into his new home, to get some advice.

What is the design concept for your new house?

Tan: My wife wanted this house to be where we spend our old age, so our main concern was the ease of convenience for our living. Naturally, my wife’s needs take precedence over everything else, so she has the first say in the design. My needs come in second and finally, our daily needs.

Please introduce the layout of the house.

Tan: Art plays a very important part in my life, so I created an art gallery for my paintings on the first floor, right by the entrance of the house. We set up a mini cafe by the entryway, where my family and friends can hang out. Our office space, split into his and her sides, sits just past the entrance. Beyond that, you will find the living room, the kitchen, the dining area and a guest room. Our sleeping quarters are on the second floor. The top floor contains a couple of guest rooms and is mostly unused except for when our children and grandchildren or other guests visit.

Any fengshui elements in the new house?

Tan: Every year, the Flying Stars and Influential Stars will rotate and determine the luck cycles of different households. A visiting star would dominate over others. The inherent traits of this particular star epitomise events and happenings for the year, which will, in turn, affect our home and household members in areas such as health, wealth, relationships, career, academics, happiness and so forth.

This year, homes facing east and west have the best luck and can expect excellent fortune and fame with the gathering of lucky stars. On the other hand, those facing south and north will be down on their luck, and bigscaled events and renovations should be avoided.

Originally, the main door of the house was facing north/south. Hence, the first thing I did was to build an extension to house my art works, and at the same time, change the direction of the main door to east/west facing.

I placed an elephant sculpture at the entrance because the elephant symbolises harmony. And as the neighbouring house is quite close to us, the shiny sculpture can also help to deflect negative energies.

I also specially did a new painting, which depicts a lion playing by a waterfall, to adhere to the fengshui of the house.

Any fengshui strategies for those looking to get a new home?

Tan: It is best to get a professional fengshui master to advise you before purchasing a new house as they will be able to recommend a suitable house to buy, based on the yearly luck cycle of household members, the house’s orientation and layout. The three key positions to look out for are the positioning of the main door, kitchen