Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging various elements to balance spiritual energies with the natural world. In interior design, feng shui is the art of arranging and decorating a home in a way that promotes harmony and positivity.
Homeowners use feng shui for a variety of reasons. The presence of balanced energy in the home is said to bring about career success, fertility, good health, love, and wealth. And even if spiritual energies aren’t real, evidence has shown that this ancient art can create a placebo effect that helps individuals succeed in their endeavors. If you could use some extra luck, a little bit of feng shui can’t hurt!
There are a lot of methods for promoting feng shui in the home, from using certain materials to arranging your furniture in a particular way. One of the simplest ways to adjust the energy of a room is to tinker with its colors. You can repaint the walls, add a new throw pillow to your collection, or swap out an old rug.
But what kind of colors should you use to promote feng shui? Different colors have different meanings. If you feel like you could use more joy in your life, use a color that promotes happiness. If you really want a promotion at work, use one that promotes career success. It’s as simple as that! Here are the eleven best interior colors that promote feng shui and what each of them represent.
White
Each color in feng shui is connected to a certain element. In the case of the color white, this element is metal. The metal element stands for mental clarity, productivity, creativity, communication, and completion. If you’re busy as a bee and always have projects to work on, it’s a good color to have around!
However, despite white promoting things that are very beneficial to work, it doesn’t actually bring career luck. Rather, the color white is said to bring about children and foster creativity.
The color white also represents the yang side of the yin-yang symbol. It gives off active, bright, and masculine energies.
Black
Black falls under the water element. In ancient Chinese culture, water represented prosperity and abundance, with flowing water symbolizing income. If you haven’t already guessed, black is the color you need in your home if you want to succeed in your career and become wealthy!
Black represents calmness, mindfulness, elegance, knowledge, and wealth. However, it’s a very strong color, so use it mindfully. Feng shui practitioners recommend keeping this color out of the bedroom and kitchen because it can negatively impact your sleeping and eating habits.
The color black also represents the yin side of the yin-yang symbol and gives off feminine, dark, and calming energies.
Gray
Gray falls under the metal element. It’s considered a combination of black and white energies. It promotes clarity, connection, and wisdom. Interestingly, gray has its very own area on the feng shui bagua map—the helpful people and travel area. That means that the color gray will connect you to important people who will help you flourish in life. It can also help you achieve your dreams of traveling the world.
Blue
The color blue falls under different elements depending on the shade!
Light to mid-tone blues and teals fall under the wood element, which signifies youth, vitality, and compassion. These colors promote personal growth, wisdom, and rest, making them perfect for teens and young adults who are still working on finding themselves and deciding what path they want to take in life.
In feng shui, dark blues are virtually interchangeable with black. Like black, they fall under the water element, represent knowledge and wealth, and promote career success.
Green
Green is a wood element that represents new beginnings. On the feng shui bagua map, green is connected to the area that emphasizes family, health, and community. If you want to strengthen your ties with your family, connect with your community, or improve your physical or mental well-being, this is an excellent color to have in the home.
Red
People have considered red an auspicious color in China for centuries, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that red is the most powerful color in feng shui! People often use red to clear a home of prior energies so one can begin anew. They also use red letters as a protective charm.
Red falls under the fire element and is an active and lucky color. It’s said to improve your fame, reputation, and social life, so if you want more friends or are aiming to become a celebrity, this is the color for you!
Like black, red is a strong color that can overwhelm your senses and upset the balance of the energy in your home if you use too much of it. Try not to overuse it.
Pink
Pink is a soft, feminine earth element that represents all forms of love—self-love, platonic love, and romantic love. It can help strengthen your relationships and partnerships and increase your chances of marrying your significant other. Still looking for that special someone? The color pink can nudge you in the direction of your soul mate.
Brown
Can you guess what element brown is? That’s right—it’s earth! Brown represents stability, sensibility, and generosity.
This color falls under two areas on the feng shui bagua map—the knowledge and education area and the family and health area. It’s a fantastic color for nurses, teachers, and parents who homeschool!
Brown is another color you shouldn’t overuse. Too much brown in the home can leave you metaphorically stuck in the mud.
Yellow
Yellow is another earth element. It lies in the very center of the feng shui bagua map, the health and wellness area. It represents stability and nurturing, but can also represent high standing and humility.
You can use this color to heal your body, mind, and soul or to make yourself feel more confident and powerful. If you’re nervous about a big presentation at work or school, the color yellow can ease your nerves and make you feel assured!
Orange
The next best interior color that promotes feng shui is orange.
Orange is like blue in that its meaning depends on the tone. Fiery oranges fall under the fire element and represent power and fame. Meanwhile, mellow oranges fall under the earth element and represent stability and good health.
As a mix between two dominant colors, red and yellow, orange is a strong color that you should use sparingly.
Purple
Purple is a wood element that represents abundance, prosperity, and adventure. It promotes wealth—and not just monetary wealth! It’s an ideal color for those who want to live a rich and fulfilling life surrounded by what they love, whether that’s friends, family, or otherwise.
Want to create good feng shui in your home? JK Paint & Contracting offers professional interior painting services to help you fill your home with color and positive energy. Contact us today to discuss an interior paint job!