North facing house Vastu: entrance and room placement
A north-facing house has its main entrance opening to the north, a direction most texts prefer for an entrance. The facing alone does not make a house good or bad. Room placement and the door's position along the north side matter more.
2 min read ·
What does Vastu say about a north facing house?
Traditionally, a north facing house starts from a preferred direction, because north (Uttara) is on the preferred list for a main entrance, as is the north-east (Ishanya). Many practitioners therefore regard a north-facing house as a comfortable starting point.
Traditions differ, and a north-facing plan can still have rooms in awkward places. The facing is only the first thing to read.
| Room | Commonly placed | Avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | North, north-east, east | |
| Pooja room | North-east, north, east | South-west, south |
| Kitchen | South-east | North-east, north, south-west |
| Master bedroom | South-west | North-east, south-east |
| Toilet | North-west, west-north-west | North-east, south-west, centre |
Where should the door go on the north side?
On the north side, the door traditionally sits best toward the north-east end, because texts divide each side into parts, called padas, and some parts are preferred. On a north side, practitioners usually favour the end nearer the north-east corner over the end nearer the north-west.
If your door is at the north-west end, you do not need to worry unduly. Keep it well lit and clear, and look at how the rooms behind it are arranged.
Where do rooms usually go in a north facing house?
Rooms in a north-facing plan usually sit by their preferred corners, with public rooms at the front, which runs from north-east to north-west. The living room suits the north, north-east or east, so it often takes the front, with the pooja room in the north-east corner.
The rear of the plan holds the south-east and south-west. The kitchen traditionally goes in the south-east, and the master bedroom in the south-west. Toilets suit the north-west or west-north-west, and a store room can take the north-west or south-west.
The staircase is traditionally placed in the south-west, south or west, away from the north-east and the centre.
If a room does not match
These need no building work.
- Light the entrance well and clear shoes and clutter from the doorway.
- Keep the north-east corner open and tidy, and keep heavy furniture out of it.
- Move a stove or a bed to its preferred corner if the room allows it.
- Keep the centre of the plan open and light.
- Ask a qualified architect and the local authority before any structural change.
In VastuLive
Upload, photograph or sketch your floor plan in VastuLive. The app reads the rooms, the entrance and the North marking, and the report gives a finding for each room with the rule and evidence behind it.
See how the app worksQuestions
Is a north facing house good or bad?
Traditionally, north is a preferred direction for a main entrance, so many practitioners regard a north facing house as a comfortable starting point. Traditions differ, and the facing alone does not decide it. Room placement and the door's position along the north side matter too, so check the rooms against the rules before judging the house.
Where should the main door be in a north facing house?
Traditionally the door sits best toward the north-east end of the north side. Anywhere on that side is within the preferred direction, and practitioners usually favour the end nearer the north-east over the north-west. Traditions differ, so keep the door well lit and clear, and look at how the rooms behind it are arranged.
Where does the kitchen go in a north facing house?
The south-east (Agneya, the fire corner) is the preferred place for the kitchen in a north facing house, and the north-west is acceptable. The north-east, south-west and north are traditionally avoided. Traditions differ in detail. If the stove cannot move, non-structural options exist, and structural changes need a qualified architect or engineer.
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.