I would think that lead paint, mold, cleaning supplies, carpet chemicals, and so on would be much more likely to cause illness than the traditional placement of a staircase! Still, I read online that a good (and inexpensive) solution would be to create a path, or "road" to the living room with carpet runners, thus diverting attention away from the staircase. Others mention putting plants, etc. on the first step, although I would think that could pose a safety hazard, as would hanging crystals or anything else from the ceiling. Is moving the door an option? Or rebuilding the staircase so that the last few steps lead into the living room? Or maybe you should just use the back door? LOL

For more ideas and comments, see this similar thread: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/stairs-facing-front-door-entrance-dsvw-vd~3241379

Personally, I don't put much stock in it but it can't hurt to make some budget friendly changes in your home. With regards to the stairs, it looks like the cure is to hang a crystal from the ceiling halfway between the base of the stairs and the front door, and/or place a red rug at the bottom of the stairs and/or inside the doorway. Easy enough!

Here's another thought- It is possible the illnesses have anything to do with mold or the ducts needing to be cleaned?

I have had an interest in Feng Shui for many years and have several books on the subject. I find it super interesting.

My materials indicate there are a couple of cures that you could employ. The first relates to your front door. According to Sarah Shurety, a leading UK Feng Shui consultant and author of "Feng Shui for your Home", glass panes in front doors can be problematic. I'm paraphrasing, but windows in doors allow energy to come and go too freely and can cause health to be more delicate. This potential is compounded if your stairs face the front door, which yours do. She suggests replacing the clear glass with blue and yellow stained glass or hanging a small spherical crystal in the window.

Another option is to hang a wind chime between the door and the stairs. The wind chimes are thought to slow the energy coming down the stairs by creating an obstacle for the energy. Since light and crystals are used as cures so frequently in Feng Shui, I don't see why a pretty and petite crystal chandelier in your entry wouldn't serve the same purpose - only doubly so!

The strongest cure is to replace the door with a solid one.

You've probably read about the bagua mirror for a cure as well. They are said to deflect negative chi and prevent it from entering your home. Perhaps a small one on the outside above the front door would work for you?

Color is another cure used in Feng Shui. I'm not sure about that black mat you have there. Black is very powerful and "attractive" and should be used mindfully. I think because you have a inauspicious set-up with the door and stairs, that black mat could actually be attracting more of the same. Maybe swap it out for something with green in it, which symbolizes health and harmony.

Healthy plants are also great cures. It's said that they absorb sickness. Perhaps a potted jade on your entry table would be nice. If there isn't enough light, think about fresh flowers instead. They have great energy, but have to be discarded as soon as they start showing signs of fatigue or they'll start introducing harmful chi.

There could be other things going on in your home that aren't Feng Shui friendly, which might be easy to fix. The most common one is leaving the toilet lid up. According to Feng Shui, some of the nastiest chi ever comes out of the toilet. So, keep the lids down.

If you sketch out your floor plan, you can superimpose the bagua on it to see what other areas could benefit from some tweaking. However, what I've read over and over is that it's best to make a couple of small changes at a time so you can gauge their effectiveness. Then tweak as necessary.

It might all be a bunch of horse hooey, but it's a fascinating philosophy - and who knows, it just may have some merit. So, if it interests you and you like interiors, it can be really fun to incorporate some of the ideas.

Here's a mock-up with a crystal chandelier, a stained glass window and a new entry rug. Also, a link to the book I referenced above. I found easy to read, with interesting insights and some nice pictures. It's at Amazon. Best wishes to you!

Feng Shui for your Home

I dont know how your exterior is arranged, but if there was ever a reason to enclose a porch, and use some attic beams to carry the ceiling weight to a new exterior wall, this is the entry that idea was borne of. Even if your new entry is 4 ft further out than now and just 5 ft wide, it could be very nice...scrap the current entry closet for a coat and hat/umbrella stand and gain se open floor space. If you can add a narrow crystal sidelight on the hinge entry door side and similar top glass in the door, and a petite entry crystal chandelier light...aka crystals fro m the ceiling !! .. Beautiful!!!

One of my best friends is way into feng shui going on 20 years now.
Personally I think it’s total nonsense, but I respect their belief.

I'm with you: Nonsense. I'm not Chinese. I'm not superstitious. I see no point in crystals or red ribbons or plants on the stairs.

I hope your bad luck runs out post haste! I for one have had a heideous run of bad luck and hope it balances out with a tremendous amount of good luck. I would find something constructive to do about the house and consider that a new, fresh start. Sending good vibes your way!

Btw, as for Feng Shui, traditions are nice and if they have meaning for you, incorporating them makes sense. It can be a comfort to feel your house is in order in a literal sense. I am one who needs my house antiseptically cleaned a few times each year to feel that I have good energy around me and am not being drained by all the little things that need attention around the house, like cleaning out closets and scrubbing everything well.

Regardless of opinions on feng shui, sometimes a small change can affect people's thoughts. When they're positive, life is better. How they incorporate it doesn't matter, so much.

For stairs pointing at the entry door, it's common advice to hang a crystal to interrupt the flow of chi and disperse it. There's a perfect spot where the ceiling opens up on the stairwell. Also recommended is to cover the glass to keep the energy from going out.

The link below seems to be able to incorporate more traditional decorating choices, like hanging pictures along the stair wall to slow the movement of chi.

Feng Shui Concepts

I hope you see a positive change, soon, no matter how you get there ;)

I like your foyer! I like what you’ve done with the table with the curved front, the color on the walls, the richness of the floor.

I agree with the suggestion to put pictures on the walls going up the stairs. The combination of colors quite invites some plant greenery. This might soften the lines a bit, too. A fern on a plant stand somewhere just out of view of the photo?

Also, a mirror would help. Maybe you have one above the table?

Wow, what a difference those small things make!

For comparison.

I like the Feng Shui philosophy and incorporate some of it, but can't do all the rules. I've concluded I'm too messy. My DD says I'm too artsy... IDK. So I just do my best and rabbit rabbit when I remember.

Sending you best wishes for a full recovery from all that ails you. Don't give up. You will figure it all out. Get help if you need it!

Thank you all for the great advice! I do want to clarify that perhaps we haven't had 'bad luck'. In general, we are very lucky to have a loving family, live in a nice house and have our health. This could just be that life is busier (and thus more things happen) and my daughter is school-aged bringing home more germs. My Mom reminded me that getting a cold twice a year isn't considered 'frequent' illness. Parents always have that innate ability to bring you back down to earth. Regardless, I always want our home to be the best it can be and feel like an oasis away from the busy world outside. I have thought of the idea of hanging a crystal light fixture from the ceiling but we don't have a light there currently and aren't going to start opening walls/ceiling to run wires. Additionally, at the top of the staircase there is already a light fixture so I think it might look strange. Can anyone recommend non-light ceiling fixtures? I have looked but haven't really seen ceiling hangings that aren't meant to be for lighting.

You can find a vintage mini chandelier all over the internet and online sale sites or old shops. Buy one and hang it. Who cares if it does not have a switch? When you want to, you can wire it in. For now, it just makes a pretty picture, and you don't turn lights on most pictures, right? And any pretty glass fixture or crystal fixture is going to be very special in that spot! How 'bout a faux chandelier..they really! make them: I guess the light kit, if you want one, is a battery operated with remote switch....FUN!! (and DH will love you, no wiring needed)https://www.shopwildthings.com/crystal-diamondcut-3tier-chandelier.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxvbdBRC0ARIsAKmec9Yl00YG93p1HboyUUWlVYknfFNmYDbBYaZ1TIlKD0HguoU94fuENTYaAg-KEALw_wcB

You might want this kit for it? https://www.shopwildthings.com/ledlightbulbwithremote.html

Look at that! Like ICE! There you go. Pretty sweet deal, I'd say. Very nice. Electricians all over the nation are thinking.............. "AGHHHHH". That is pretty classy.

May I ask if the problem from the Feng Shui point of view is the door directly opposite the landing? Many houses have stair landings on the opposite wall of the door, but not directly face-to-face with one another.

Fast moving chi is an "arrow", which is disruptive or aggressive. Qigong masters can do scary things with that arrow of energy. The chi (qi) at entry and along traffic paths needs to be dissipated so that it can flow calmly. Kind of like a babbling brook isn't so inviting after a storm, when things are swept up and carried away.

Hi, Rita. Yes, the problem, from a Feng Shui perspective, is the stairs positioned directly opposite (face to face) the front door. The close proximity and window exacerbates the challenging placement.