Feng Shui Guide to Understanding Color

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese practice of interior design with the purpose of creating a healthy and beneficial energy flow throughout a space. Color, material, and furniture placement are all part of Feng Shui (literally translated to “wind” and “water”), but one main and basic component is color. 

People respond to the energy of color, and it is important to make sure each room in your home evokes the feeling you want. 

Here is a list of the five elements of feng shui, the colors that correspond with that energy, and what energy the color elicits:

Fire

Red, orange, bright yellow, pink, and purple are all related to the element of fire in feng shui. Fire supports life energy. The color red is associated with fame, reputation, and good luck. Orange is the color associated with organization and concentration. In feng shui, yellow is the color of health, cheer, friendliness, and communication. Purple is known as the color of royalty in feng shui, and it is supposed to promote spirituality and mental and physical wellness. Pink is related to love and marriage, and the color is known to provide a soothing energy. 

Earth

According to feng shui, earth is symbolic of strength, stability and nourishment. Earthen colors are aligned with the earth element in feng shui: beige and light yellow. Beige is associated with tidiness and obscured emotions; light yellow clears the mind and heightens focus.

Wood

The element of wood in feng shui is a symbol of wealth, as well as expected to produce health and growth. The colors linked to wood are green and brown. Brown has a nourishing energy and represents hard work; it is the feng shui color of industry. Green is representative of nature and is the feng shui color of balance and well-being in emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of one’s life. Green is also representative of growth and is used in areas of the home where serenity and peace are warranted.

Metal

The element of metal in feng shui is known to bring clarity, accuracy, and efficacy to one’s life. The colors associated with the element of metal in feng shui are gray and white. The color of a sophisticated gray creates a sharp, crisp energy into a space, while a drab gray in feng shui is associated with dull energy.  White is the color of purity and virtue. Like a stylish gray, white represents a crisp and clear energy, as well as a clean and fresh outlook that allows people to feel the future is limitless.

Water

In feng shui, the element of water is an ancient symbol of abundance, and it creates an energy of calm, purity and cleanliness. The water colors are black and blue. Black represents emotional power and security in feng shui, and is associated with prosperity. Blue comes in various shades and each shade evokes a different energy in feng shui, although all blue is connected with clarity and healing. Light blue represents gradual growth, dark blue is the feng shui color of deep calm, and navy blue is the feng shui color of wisdom.