Vastu Rules Meaning | Direction | Staircase Inside House | Staircase Outside House | Influencing Factors | Staircase Decoration Vastu | Small Home Designs | Things To Remember | FAQ

The tiniest details in your house need to be per Vastu. You must follow Vastu while designing your home because it is believed that Vastu dosha could otherwise lead to significant problems.

If you are designing a staircase inside your home, it becomes even more important to be mindful of Vastu. Therefore, here we will offer you all the dos and don’ts with regards to Vastu for the staircase. We will also talk about the key tips you have to bear in mind and the things that you should avoid as well. We believe that to be on the safe side and to invite positive vibes and energy into your home, you must stick to the right Vastu principles.

So, sit back and check out the different Vastu rules of the staircase and find out what is the right direction, the number of steps you should have, and tons of other factors too. We want to emphasize strongly the need to focus on every single aspect as this will prepare you in a better way to focus on the need to follow the right Vastu rules.

What Do You Mean By Vastu Rules For Staircases?

As per the doctrine of Hindu architecture, it is believed that the construction of the staircase is a very crucial aspect. One has to closely determine the number of stairs that should be present and also the direction of the staircase as well. These factors help in ensuring the right flow of positivity in your home. When you are following the Vastu rules for staircase, the likelihood of a minor or a major mishap happening will reduce substantially. 

So, here we are going to shed light on the different details that will give you complete details of the Vastu guidelines you need to follow.

The Step Counts

Vastu believes that the number of steps in a staircase should always be odd. Further, you should make sure that the number of steps should never end in zero.

step count
Source: Policas / Shutterstock

The logic behind this reasoning is that mostly a person will set forth his right foot first while stepping on a stair. So, when he finishes the flight of stairs, it should end also with his right foot down. This will only occur if the stairs have an odd number of step count. This is the main logic behind Vastu promoting an odd step count for the staircase.

The Vastu Rules For Staircase- Direction

Now that you know about the step count, the next important thing is the direction of the staircase.

Vastu believes that it is the southwest corner that is the best direction for you to have a staircase in your home. The rules will depend largely on the placement of the staircase whether it is inside the house or outside. So, let us explore the details further.

The Staircase Inside The House

If the staircase is located inside the house, Vastu rules state that it is the southwest side that is ideal to have it.

The second preferred direction will be the south and then the west. In these cases, the staircase needs to start from the north and head to the south or it can start from the east and head towards the west respectively.

Always, double-check that the staircase should never be located at the very centre of the property as this is considered to be inauspicious and can invite further troubles.

The Staircase Outside The House

If you have stairs outside the house, the rules are slightly different. In such cases, the Vastu preferred directions are as follows.

  • Southeast, here the stairs face the east
  • Southwest, here the stairs face the west
  • Southwest, here the stairs face towards the south
  • Northwest, here the stairs face the north

No matter whether the staircase is present inside or outside the house, the northeast side is an absolute no for designing the stairs. Also, the centre area is considered to be a bad alignment. You should also never place them before the entrance as this is likely to create an imbalance of sorts.

Factors That Influence The Vastu Of Staircase

Several factors come into play as far as Vastu rules for the staircase are concerned. Let us take a look at some of these top points and a clear picture of what governs Vastu for staircases.

The Starting Point

The starting point of the stairs has a very important role to play. The stairs should not start or end from the kitchen or the puja room or even the store room. These rooms cannot be the start or end point of any staircase. Further, the staircase leading to an upper floor should not be a continuation of the stairs that connect the basement, they need to be disjoint.

The Location

If you are a landlord who lives on the ground floor and you have rented the upper floor to someone, do not have a staircase at the entrance. Having one can lead to significant financial losses and might end up draining your money significantly.

The Visibility

Anytime a guest enters your house, they shouldn’t be able to see the stairs right away. The internal staircase need not be in the line of vision of your visitor as this can lead to significant issues. Some people choose to have doors at the start and end to guard the visibility. This is also advisable as per Vastu norms.

Colour Tones

It is always advised to have light shades for the staircases as darker tones are not going to be useful.

The Orientation

When you are climbing the stairs, you should make it a point to do it in the clockwise direction. This is the preferred direction as per Vastu.

Shapes And Orientation

Merely working on the direction and step count is not enough. Vastu has an extensive list as far as staircases are concerned. They have guidelines about the shape of the stairs and the possible orientation too.

As per the science of Vastu, the staircases should be either square or rectangular. They need to bend at right angles and this will be a great orientation for getting the right results. Vastu will always ask you not to have spiral staircases. You should also make it a point to avoid stairs that are very steep and high. This leads to extra drainage of energy and emotions and can leave a person feeling uneasy.

When you are walking up the stairs, the direction should be clockwise. If you have an anti-clockwise direction, your career growth may be stunted and this can lead to professional woes. As you step up the stairs, you should move from the north to the south or the east to the west.

The Staircase Colours

The type of colours that you are using for your stairs is also important. You should follow Vastu guidelines for the sake of choosing the right colour palette. It is always advised to opt for light-coloured shade as the stairs will seem to be well lit in that case. Dark-coloured tones are not going to look good and they will also make the whole place appear darker.

Also, you can choose to deck the wall that is located next to the staircase. You can have wallpaper or even textured paint.

The Staircase Decoration: Vastu Rules

One of the key Vastu rules is that you should never decorate your staircase space with family photos. Doing so is likely to bring in health repercussions and it can cause differences between family members as well. This doesn’t by any means infer that you cannot decorate the stairs at all.

There are tons of things you can do with the stairs. These include putting different sceneries. They could be of flowers, mountains, lush green forests, or something completely abstract as well. You can have different types of lights as well. This will allow you to keep the area illuminated and this attracts positive vibes to your place.

Among the list that you should never do with the staircase, along with family pictures, you should never have a mirror under the stair or even in front of the stairs. Doing this is going to bring in negative energy. Even if you have an aquarium or a fountain in the house, never place it under the staircase.

You can also choose to have handrails for the stairs. These serve the dual need of offering comfort and safety and add to the aesthetics too. This is the reason; you should incorporate them. Vastu believes that you should choose marble or stone rails and place them in the southwest direction.

staircase handrails
Source: Hendrickson Photography / Shutterstock

Also, you can choose to have several lighter tones of wallpaper on the space along the staircase. These are a great way to make them look amazing and gorgeous.

Small Home Designs

small home staircase design
Source: Kuprynenko Andrii/Shutterstock

If you have a small home and still have a staircase, you cannot afford to let the space under the staircase go waste. This is why you should try to build something in this space. You can have a small kitchen or even a bathroom there. Some people also choose to have a puja room located there. If you need an office set up, you can also choose to set your workstation there. If you don’t want to design anything elaborate there, you can simply choose to keep different valuable items there. However, it is important to note that you should not keep any important and valuable stuff there as it won’t be that auspicious. This being said, do not dump unwanted stuff or even torn and worn-out items either.

The Things To Remember

Here are some of the key things as far as Vastu rules for the staircase are concerned. Make sure to keep these in mind.

  • Do not have very steep stairs. The rise of a stair needs to be between 4 and 7.75 inches.
  • The length of the tread should be between 10 and 11.25 inches
  • Never have a stair in the middle of the home
  • You can choose not to have a railing on the staircase but make sure that the design is still safe and you don’t have little kids loitering around
  • Ideally, we will not recommend having a spiral staircase as it is not considered very favourable
  • The right design helps in the positive flow of energy but an awkward construction could lead to imbalances and can trigger negativity inside a home
  • Avoid the use of dark colours in the staircase as it tends to make the place look dimly lit
  • You can choose to have wallpapers on the wall next to the staircase
  • Never hang paintings of family members or even deities on the walls close to the staircase

FAQ

Should the staircase be located in the centre of the home?

No, the staircase should be present in the middle of the home. This is likely to trigger negativity

Can you build a kitchen under the staircase?

If you have a small home and you need to utilize all the space, you can choose to build a kitchen or even a workstation under the staircase

Are handrails absolutely important?

Handrails are important for the sake of safety. You have to be sure that you are exercising precautions especially if you have kids in your home. The absence of rials can lead to accidents.

Can you paint the stairs in a dark colour?

While you can paint the stairs in a dark tone, it is usually not preferred as it tends to make the whole place gloomy. The smarter thing to do is to choose lighter tones.

Can you hang paintings in a staircase stretch?

Yes, you can hang different kinds of paintings but you should refrain from hanging pictures of family members or even those of God. They are not considered auspicious at all.

Can you have a staircase at the very entrance?

It is not the ideal position to have the staircase. You should make sure to follow the Vastu rules and guidance for the sake of planning the right direction of the staircase.

So, keep these aspects in mind and then perfectly design your home keeping vastu elements in check. We are sure it will look good.