Kitchen Vastu: direction, stove and sink placement

Inside the kitchen, the same logic decides where things go: fire in the south-east, water towards the north-east or north, and heavy storage in the south and west. Below you will find the directions at a glance, where the stove, sink, refrigerator and storage go, the colours that suit, and what you can do in a flat where the kitchen sits in an avoided direction and cannot be moved.

Which direction suits the kitchen

The south-east is linked with Agni, Venus and energy, so a kitchen there is in its natural zone. The north-west, the air zone, is the traditional second choice. East, south and west are acceptable. The north-east is kept for prayer and water, the south-west for stability, and the north for Kubera and opportunities, so a kitchen in any of those is traditionally avoided.

Stove placement and which way to face while cooking

Within the kitchen, the stove is commonly placed in the south-east part of the platform. The cook is most often advised to face east while cooking, with the morning light in front. Facing north is a common second choice; facing south is the one usually avoided.

Keep a little space between the stove and the wall rather than pushing it tight into the corner, and keep the stove out of the direct line of the kitchen door if you can. The gas cylinder is usually kept in the south-east or south part of the kitchen, close to the stove.

Sink, water and the refrigerator

Fire and water are kept apart in Vastu. The sink, water purifier and drinking water pots are commonly placed in the north-east or north part of the kitchen, away from the stove. If the platform forces them close together, leave a gap of a working surface between them, or place a small partition or a row of jars between the sink and the stove.

The refrigerator is heavy and electrical, so it is commonly placed in the south, west or north-west part of the kitchen. Keep it out of the north-east corner and leave a little gap from the wall. A microwave, oven and mixer suit the south-east, close to the stove.

Storage and colours

Heavy storage, grains, utensils and the store cupboard go on the south and west walls. Keep the north-east part of the kitchen light, with open shelves or nothing at all. Wall cabinets over the platform are fine; keep them tidy and avoid storing broken vessels.

For colours, the south-east palette is orange, pink and silver. Many people choose softer versions such as peach, cream or light yellow, which keep a kitchen bright and easy to keep clean. Very dark colours are commonly avoided in a kitchen.

A kitchen in an avoided direction in a flat

In a flat you cannot move the kitchen, so the advice turns to what happens inside it. Most consultants start with the stove: move it to the south-east part of the kitchen if the gas line allows, and cook facing east. Keep the kitchen spotless, well lit and well ventilated, fix leaking taps quickly, and keep the north-east part of the kitchen light.

A kitchen directly in line with the main door, or sharing a wall with a toilet or the pooja room, is also commonly avoided. A curtain or half door between the kitchen and the entrance is the usual adjustment.

Adjustments without rebuilding

• For a north-east kitchen, many consultants suggest moving the stove to the south-east corner of the kitchen and cooking facing east
• Warm colours such as light orange, peach or yellow on the walls are commonly suggested for a kitchen outside the south-east
• A partition or a gap between the stove and the sink is commonly suggested when they sit close together
• A curtain or half door between the kitchen and the main door is often suggested when they are in line
• Keeping a south-west or north kitchen especially clean, bright and clutter-free is the most common advice

These are traditional practices that many families follow. They vary between Vastu schools; for your own home, a consultant can say which matter most.

Related Vastu guides

• Vastu tips for home: Where each room traditionally goes, how to treat the centre and the corners, and what to change in a flat.
• Vastu colours: The shades traditionally linked with each direction and room, with easy ways to use them in a rented home.
• Vastu remedies without demolition: Room use, colours, light, clutter, mirrors, plants, salt and yantras: traditional fixes, and when to rebuild.
• Vastu directions: Deity, planet, element and the right rooms for each of the eight directions, and how to find them at home.
• Vastu for wealth: The north zone of Kubera, where a locker is commonly kept, water in the north-east and fixing leaks.

Your personal best directions come from your Kua number. Check your whole home with the house Vastu calculator, see whether your house number suits you, and find your lucky number. More tools: all free calculators.