In the ancient Chinese system of aesthetics known as feng shui, the front door is considered to be the place where vital energy, referred to as "chi," enters and exits your home. It is where you leave the outside world behind, separating and distancing it from the warm and comfortable interior of your home. Your front door, therefore, is a strong visual indicator of how you relate to the world, sending a distinct message about who you are and what you stand for.

A good feng shui front door, it is said, will attract the highest energy to "nourish" the house you live in, providing you with sustained health, happy relationships and professional success. According to feng shui, a welcoming and attractive front door will ease the flow of people, opportunities and prosperity into your life. When guests visit you, they should feel uplifted and energized upon entering your home. Listed below are some specific feng shui guidelines related to your home's main entry:

• Keep your front door clean, freshly-painted, well-lit and in "welcoming order"
• Hardware and other metal fixtures should be kept polished to deflect negative chi from entering your house
• Ensure that your front door opens and closes fully and easily without sticking or squeaking - a door that jars or sticks can minimize your positive energy flow
• Keep all locks and hinges lubricated and in good working order - if you have a difficult time unlocking and opening your front door, you may have difficulties on your life journey and miss out on vital opportunities
• Ensure that your front door is clearly visible and not blocked from view in some way - if visitors are not sure which door to knock on, you may prevent new opportunities from coming your way
• Use your front door as much as possible, rather than coming in through a garage or side entrance
• Adorn the area surrounding your front door with decorative elements and, if possible, include the word "welcome" in a place where guests will easily see it
• For real security and protection, your front door must be solid and well-engineered
• Give careful, deliberate and ample consideration to your front door needs when planning new construction and renovations

The principles of front door feng shui are focused on making the home a positive place for homeowners, family and guests. Regardless of your inclination toward feng shui, Castle Entries believes that everything good taking place in your home can begin at the front door.

Your front door is one of the few elements of your home's architecture that each family member or visitor must interact with and transcend daily in order to experience what is inside. The way your door looks, the way it blends visually with the exterior of your home, the way it feels when it is opened and closed and the way it protects from the elements all create "moments of truth."

These small but important moments set the tone for everything else that happens beyond the front door and bring sensations of order, comfort, security, stability and other positive feelings that are elusive in the world we venture into each day. It is for these reasons your front door should be one of the first places you look when contemplating home improvements that will make your life better and more rewarding.

We invite you to make your front entryway more than just another bland and ordinary obstacle to transgress in your daily routine. Make your front door a symbol of the way you embrace life and all the good that it brings. Make a statement that lets the world know what you think about where you live and all the good things that take place on the inside. Make your new front door a wrought iron door from Castle Entries.