Is a north facing kitchen good or bad in Vastu?
Neither, by itself. One old manual prefers the southeast, another names the north.
Kitchen direction
A north kitchen isn’t a verdict
Your kitchen is where the plumbing is. Here is what the old building books actually say about its direction, and what is worth changing in the one you have.
Last reviewed: November 3, 2026
The short answer
A north-facing or north-side kitchen is not automatically bad. The old texts don't agree on one kitchen corner, and none of them was written for a flat with a fixed gas line. We don't attach any outcome to a kitchen's direction, good or bad.
What the building manuals say
ClassicalThe Brihat Samhita puts the kitchen in the southeast (53.118).
ClassicalThe Mānasāra says kitchens belong in the north, the northeast, or the Parjanya square (36.26).
Two respected manuals, two different answers. Both were written for whole houses on open plots, not for a unit in a building. What they share is more useful: the Mānasāra asks for latticed windows to let kitchen smoke out (38.36–38). Ventilation is the part that is actually classical, and it still applies to you.
North, northeast, northwest: what changes
North and northeast are named in the Mānasāra; the southeast is named in the Brihat Samhita. The texts we've checked don't settle northwest at all. Nothing here is a reason to treat any of these kitchens as broken.
Facing direction while you cook
Living practicePopular Vastu says to cook facing east. We found no building chapter that says it. Face the best light on your counter instead, so you aren't cooking in your own shadow. If that happens to be east, fine.
What to change in a kitchen you can’t move
- 01Keep the hob away from the sink if your counter allows it. Splash on a burner is just poor kitchen layout.
- 02Light the counter where you chop and cook.
See in Shop - 03Run the exhaust, or open a window, every time you cook.
- 04Clear the counter so you have one free work surface.
Room by room: Vastu without demolition. Worked examples: south door with a north kitchen and a southeast kitchen that already works.
Fixed
The kitchen's location, the stack, the gas line.
Ignore
MarketingRed pyramids by the stove, copper or metal strips on the floor, "kitchen remedy" kits. They don't move a kitchen and we don't sell them. See remedies.
Three short questions
Which direction should I face while cooking?
Toward the best light on your work. Facing east is popular habit, not a building rule.
Do I need to move my kitchen?
No. Separate the hob and sink if you can, light the counter, and run the exhaust.
More answers: FAQ.