You've met the man of your dreams. Had a fairy-tale wedding, and are about to settle into your new home. But apart from a lick of paint and shopping trips to IKEA and Habitat, there are quick and easy ways to remove obstacles to romance and jump-start your married life attracting new energy in to your home.

Vastu is the ancient Indian practice of recognising nature's energies that influence the home and its inhabitants. It offers practical advice on how to organise your home to create an environment to boost your potential - whether it's your career, health, relationships, business, or mental state.

A key principle is that everything is connected through energy. This means that your thoughts and feelings, even your behaviour, are strongly influenced by your surroundings.

In Vastu, each direction of the home is influenced by a particular energy. For example, there should ideally be air in the north-west, water in the north-east, fire in the south-east, earth in the south-west, and ether/space in the centre.

The North and East are the most important for relationships, and for a happy married life, these areas need to be paid attention to. "Relationships are all about understanding each other's needs. The northern energy, a female energy which is essential for feelings and emotions, carries that potential. The east is the male energy, related to rationality, vitality, and health," says Vastu consultant Kana Butkovic.

"Like you have a husband and wife in a house, you also have two energies - male and female energy - that come from the sun and moon. Both these energies together together are complimentary. On their own, they're not complete," says Butkovic. "It is essential to have these energies flowing through the house and nourishing its inhabitants. This is the whole purpose of marriage - you become one body which supports each other. Like a woman needs her man as support, a man needs a woman for inspiration and understanding."

There are a number of ways that Vastu can be applied, such as building a house that is specifically designed, or the more popular 'physical corrections', such as rearranging furniture, changing a room's purpose, choosing harmonious colours, or restructuring parts of the building. Additionally Yantras - two- dimensional geometric forms - can be placed in specific parts of the home to act as energy portals.

A gold pyramid called a Meru Chakra placed in the home can correct Vastu defects, and create an influential energy field within the home. Ideally, each room has a particular function, so it is important to bear this in mind, because in each room you want to evoke a particular energy. Perhaps the simplest rule is keeping the house clean and clutter free. Allow enough closed storage space. Build cupboards if you have to, so mess can be stored away. "Constantly keep the house clutter free, and organise enough storage space when moving in. Allow for more storage space than what you need right now, because in a few years time, you are bound to have more things," says Butkovic.

THE BEDROOM

Rather than being treated like a boudoir, a marital bedroom should be haven of relaxation. "The purpose of the bedroom is to recharge and gain energy," says Butkovic.

When you sleep, you want tranquillity, so colours in the bedroom should be soft and earthy to ground you overnight. Avoid using energetic colours such as red or orange, especially for your bedding, as they will create energy that is completely unsuitable. "These colours might be good for wild nights, but not if you want to rest," he says. However, to invoke a romantic atmosphere, you can light candles, or have some red things in the room, such as red roses or cushions, but make sure you don't overdo it. Avoid metals beds as they interfere with human energy fields. Try to use natural elements such as wood.

Taking into account the earth's magnetic fields, the bed itself should be pointing toward the east or the south, but never towards the north. Sleeping in the opposite direction to the earth's magnets means you will not feel rested when you wake up.

THE KITCHEN

The ideal direction for the kitchen, one of the most important rooms of the house, is in the south-east. "Food affects our consciousness, so if the kitchen is in an area where there is positive energy, then our food gets energised and influences our consciousness and our life," says Butkovic. "Otherwise, food can absorb negative energy wherever it is placed."

You can add freshness to the kitchen by always having lots of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit in there.

The kitchen is dominated by fire, so it is especially good to decorate it with anything with this element, such as the colour red, triangular forms, and anything related with fire.

Most importantly, the kitchen has to be kept spotlessly clean. This can be done by imagining the kitchen to be the 'belly of the house'. Never let clutter or dirt accumulate in the kitchen, and avoid leaving piles of dishes on the drainer. According to Vedic culture, a new bride is considered to be a representative of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. This is because by keeping the kitchen and house clean and clutter-free, the women of the house attract Lakshmi into the home.

ENTRANCE

The main door and entrance are very important, since this is where you want to attract prosperity and positive energy, which can be done by having flower baskets and arrangements there. The whole area should be neat and clean, and avoid having a dustbin in the entrance.

Butkovic says that anything connected with your religion, such as a yantra, a Ganesh idol, a cross or scriptures from the Quran should be placed above the front door. The first wall that you see as you enter should never be bare, and should also have something spiritual on it.

OTHER AREAS

The centre of the house and the north-east part of the house, if looked after properly, can bring lots of auspicious energy in the house. The centre, also called the 'sacred centre,' is a sensitive energy point and if it is obstructed, can block the flow of energy within the house. Try to keep the centre of each room as open as possible, without any heavy objects in it. Try to put a water feature such as a fish tank or fountain in the north-east corner of the house, or a shrine, or any religious items to amplify the good luck energy from this direction.

Mirrors are good on north and east walls, but never on the west, south or south-west walls. If you like to hang up pictures, try to reflect the energies of that particular direction (north - water, such as lakes, rivers, or the ocean; west - sunset; south - mountains; and east - the rising sun).

Anything violent or negative in the home is bad imagery and should be avoided. Pictures of deceased relatives should be placed on the western wall, the direction of death.

Candles should be kept in the south-east of the room, in the direction of the element fire. Flowers, essential oils, or incense are a good way to keep the home smelling fresh, but try to use natural rather than to chemical fragrances. Plants bring life, so are very auspicious all over the house, except in the bedroom.

"Vastu doesn't have to work in opposition to style," says Nikesh Parmar, Design Director, Aura Designs. "For a marital home, accessories like candles can genuinely invoke a romantic atmosphere by creating mood lighting, and plants look and feel good.

"The Vastu colours are also very stylish," says Parmar. "You can work with a natural palette, and bring in colour with cushions and curtains. This way, you can change the look of the house according to the trend. Therefore, Vastu, though an ancient tradition, works to complement a modern style."