West facing house Vastu: entrance and room placement
A west-facing house has its main entrance opening to the west, which the rule data lists as acceptable, and it is often feared wrongly. Texts care more about the placement of rooms and the entrance's position along its side than about the facing alone. The points below show what to look at.
2 min read ·
Is a west-facing house acceptable in Vastu?
West (Paschima) sits in the acceptable group for a main entrance, below the north, north-east and east and above the south-west, south-east and south, which are avoided.
No facing is bad on its own. A west-facing house with a well-kept entrance and well-placed rooms is read on those points.
| Room | Commonly placed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Guest room | North-west | Falls on the entrance side |
| Children's bedroom | North-west, west | Entrance side |
| Master bedroom | South-west | Entrance side |
| Pooja room | North-east | At the rear |
| Kitchen | South-east | At the rear |
Where should the main door be on the west side?
Traditionally, the main door sits away from the south-west end of the west side. Texts divide each side into parts, called padas, and some parts are preferred. On a west side, the end nearer the north-west corner is closer to the preferred directions, and the end nearer the south-west corner is the one the rule data avoids.
Practitioners generally ask that the door stay clear of the south-west end. A qualified practitioner can read your plan more exactly.
Where do rooms usually go in a west-facing house?
The front of a west-facing plan runs from north-west to south-west. The north-west suits guests, children's bedrooms, toilets and a store room, and the south-west is the master bedroom's preferred corner, so both fall on the entrance side.
The rear holds the north-east and south-east. The pooja room takes the north-east, and the kitchen takes the south-east. The living room can sit in the north, north-east or east, which places it towards the back.
Heavy furniture suits the west and south sides of the living room. Windows on the west can be smaller if the afternoon sun is strong.
If a room does not match
These need no building work.
- Keep the entrance well lit and clear, and make sure the nameplate is visible.
- Use curtains or plants to soften the afternoon sun on west windows.
- Keep the north-east open and tidy for the pooja room or a light corner.
- Shift the stove to the south-east of the kitchen and the bed to the south-west room if possible.
- Ask a qualified architect and the local authority before moving a door.
In VastuLive
VastuLive reads the rooms, the entrance and the North marking from your floor plan, and asks you to confirm North if it is unsure. The report gives a finding for the entrance and each room, with the rule and evidence.
See how the app worksQuestions
Is a west facing house good or bad?
The facing alone does not make a west-facing house good or bad. The rule data lists west as acceptable for a main entrance, below north, north-east and east and above south-west, south-east and south. Room placement and the door's position along the side matter more, and traditions differ.
What are the disadvantages of a west facing house?
The common practical disadvantage is strong afternoon sun on west windows. In Vastu terms, watch for a main door near the south-west end of the west side, which the rule data avoids. Curtains or plants can soften the sun, and west windows can be smaller. Traditions differ on how much any of this matters.
Where should the main door be in a west facing house?
The main door goes on the west side, away from the south-west end. The end nearer the north-west corner is closer to the preferred directions, though which parts of a side count as preferred varies by lineage. A qualified practitioner can read your plan more exactly, and an architect should advise before any door is moved.
Keep reading
Based on traditional Vastu texts and practice. Traditions differ, and nothing here promises a result. For structural, legal or safety questions, ask a qualified architect or engineer.