Colors are powerful as they are an expression of light and can affect the way we feel. Each of the 5elements of Feng Shui are represented by different colors. Together, they either bring balance and positivity, or clash and create negativity in our homes.
As with all home design, the main goal of Feng Shui is to introduce beauty and balance for each space.Aside from achieving more visually attractive spaces, it also creates a good balance of energy (yin and yang) in your home that’s needed to nourish your life and relationships.
5 Elements of Feng Shui and Corresponding Colors
The 5 main elements of Feng Shui are fire, water, wood, metal and earth.
Fire Element: Colors & Meaning
The Feng Shui fire element brings positive energy to your career and helps to achieve recognition at work. Balanced fire elements in your home will bring joy, enthusiasm, excitement and sexual energy.
On the other hand, too much of it will introduce arguments and aggression. Since fire is extremely strong, it’s best introduced only as a supporting element.
Represents: Passion & High Energy
Colors: Red, Orange, Purple, Pink, Strong Yellow
Water Element: Colors & Meaning
A refreshing energy of calmness, purity and freshness are what the water element provides. It’s the symbol of abundance and wealth; that’s why fountains and mirrors are often seen to be used as Feng Shui cures. It also brings family harmony and good interpersonal relationships with others.
Represents: Calmness & Abundance
Colors: Blue, Black
Wood Element: Colors & Meaning
The Feng Shui wood element provides lushness and healing. The biggest advantage of the wood element is that even in abundance, it brings good energy (chi). It’s often associated with personal and financial growthas it draws breakthroughs and helps with the strengthening of career foundation.
Represents: Growth & Vitality
Colors: Brown, Green
Metal Element: Colors & Meaning
The metal element offers clarity, calmness and efficiency. A balanced presence of metal element colors in your home or office will promote clear thinking while minimising distractions.
Represents: Clarity & Precision
Colors: Grey, White
Earth Element: Colors & Meaning
The earth element represents stability, nourishment and protection for your health and relationships. Use of earth element colors helps maintain your inner peace and health.
Represents: Nourishment & Stability
Colors: Light Yellow, Beige, Sandy & Earthy Colors
Ideal Feng Shui Colors for Different Areas of Your Home
While Feng Shui can be a complex subject, the simplest way to choose paint colors for your rooms is by considering your intentions. This straightforward method offers more flexibility and control over the color choices in your home.
For example, if you want to eliminate distractions from your home office,choose metal element colors like white and grey. Metal represents clarity and efficiency, which matches your intention for the room.
Good Feng Shui is all about finding a balance between elements. Avoid painting the entire room in strong colors as it can be too overwhelming. Instead, consider your personal preferences, the quality of light in the room and how well the Feng Shui colors fit with other objects in your home.
Here are some practical ways you can incorporate Feng Shui colors into your home based on our huge Nippon Paint color chart!
Feng Shui Colors for Living Room
Living Room – Icon Interior Design
The earth elements bring energy of nourishment, stable support and caring patience – qualities that you’d want to achieve in a shared living space.
As such, light, earthy colors such as beige and milky white work well for living rooms as theycreate a comfortable and soothing space for your family.
Colors to avoid:
Dark blue and black should be avoided in living rooms as the space would then have excessive yin related energy which causes yin-yang imbalances, unless these colors complement the direction facing of the space.
Excessive use of red should also be avoided as it may lead to anger management issues / emotional control outbursts within the family. The right amount of red can be applied to homes with deficient in yang-energy though.
Feng Shui Colors for Bedroom
Bedrooms are spaces where you rest and rejuvenate. Therefore, metal element colors work well for bedrooms.
According to the productive cycle, it’s further nurtured by the earth element. Metal offers clarity and calmness while earth provides nourishment and stability. Both are represented by light colors such as white, beige and earthy shades which complement each other well.
Colors to avoid:
Avoid colors that are too bright, or too dark as they prevent proper rest and cause feelings of negativity.
Married couples should also avoid the use of strong pink. While pink is a loving color, excessive use in the bedroom can lead to involvement from a third party due to the illusory energy it creates.
Feng Shui Colors for Kitchen
Wood is a great element to introduce in your kitchen. Colors such as brown and green are excellent for improving health and balancing family life.
Colors to avoid:
Limit the amount of fire element in the kitchen as fire destroys wood in the cycle of five elements.
Feng Shui Colors for Office / Study Area
Study Room – Mr Shopper Studio
The water element is recommended for your home office or study room.
Water is also nurtured by metal. Together, their colors of blue and white are a symbol for clarity and an abundance of wealth. Choose lighter shades of blue if you find dark-colored rooms distracting.
Colors to avoid:
Avoid excessive use of strong colors from the fire element as they can distract and influence your thinking process.
Feng Shui Colors for Children’s Room
Children’s Room – Starry Homestead
When it comes to the kids’ area, opt for subtler shades like soft blue or green from the water or wood element. They encourage proper development and nourishment through their growth and serene qualities.
Colors to avoid:
Pay attention to the elements you introduce in children’s room as it may affect their mental and character growth. Avoid dark or strong colors such as red, purple or black which tend to be too aggressive.
Feng Shui Colors for Bathroom
Bathrooms tend to get a bad Feng Shui reputation for having negative energy due to its usage. However, it’s also where we cleanse our body and rejuvenate our minds.
Colors from the metal and wood elements, such as white and light brown, provide a spa-like experience by promoting clarity and revitalising our bodies. These are practical color choices as they brighten up small spaces and make maintenance much easier.
Tip:Introduce greenery (wood element) by placing plants in your bathroom.
Colors to avoid:
Due to the strong presence of water in the bathroom, be careful about adding more water element colors like blue. Too much of it is detrimental to your emotions and decision-making process.
Nippon Paint Color Visualiser: Phone App to Preview Wall Colors in Your Home
To better visualise how element colors complement each other, you can use our Nippon Paint Color Visualiser phone app!
This app allows you to paint your walls virtually with any color from our entire catalogue!
How to use:
- Using the app, take a photo or upload an existing image of your room.
- Select from the entire range of Nippon Paint colors through the Color Palette.
- The app will give you a virtual preview of your new wall instantly. It’s smart enough to paint around furniture and retain shadows to provide a realistic impression.
- With the color picker tool, you can upload an image of any object and get the closest digital match.
Other Ways to Implement Feng Shui in Your Home
Choosing colors based on your intentions for each room is the simplest way to implement Feng Shui.
Having said that, there are other popular ways to implement Feng Shui in your home as well.
Bagua (Energy Map)
A bagua is a grid that you lay over the floor plan of your home. It identifies the specific Feng Shui areas of your home that need to be worked on.
While there are 2 very different ways of applying Feng Shui bagua to your home, it’s important that you base all your work on only one style. Trying to apply both will cause a lot of confusion to your space.
Traditional Bagua
Black Sect Tantric Buddhist School (BTB) / Western Bagua
Feng Shui Birth Element
With this approach, your birthday determines your birth elements and may reveal key influences that shape your life. It often involves a detailed reading of your ‘Ba Zi’ (Eight Characters), to understand your weak and strong elements.
This information allows you to surround yourself with better Feng Shui decisions.You can also check out our guide to your lucky color for 2019, advised by Feng Shui Grand Master Phang.
Using Feng Shui Only as a Guide
While each Feng Shui element represents different qualities, it shouldonly be used as a guide in your decision-making process. Ultimately, it’s advised that youchoose paint colors that you like and fit well in your home.
Being in a space you are comfortable in and passionate about will greatly improve the overall energy in your home.
5 Tips when Picking Paint Colours for Your Home