The Meanings of 12 Colors in Feng Shui

Illustration of home decor Feng Shui philosophy concept

If you’re hoping to design a space that’s organized and balanced, turning to Feng Shui may be a great option for you. This Chinese practice has been around for over 4,000 years, and many people have found success in following it.

A big part of Feng Shui is color. Colors correspond with certain elements, emotions, and feelings, so choosing ideal colors is crucial for this type of organizing. Keep reading to find out more about Feng Shui and how it relies on colors.

What is Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice known as the “art of placement.” It’s a method of organizing and rearranging objects to create harmony and balance. The practice is often used to design buildings and structures while focusing on how the environment around those structures impact them.

The term “Feng Shui” translates to “the way of wind and water.” So, Feng Shui focuses on the energy in a home and how various elements in and around the home affect your life. The energy in your home is referred to as “Qi.” Being conscious and aware of the Qi in your home is the best way to accomplish positive energy, which is what Feng Shui is all about.

Elements of Feng Shui

Elements of Feng Shui illustration

Feng Shui focuses on five main elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. Each element helps support another. Wood feeds fire, fire makes earth, earth creates metal, metal holds water, and water nourishes wood. However, if that circle was flipped, the elements would weaken each other instead of helping each other. Also, elements on opposite sides of the cycle could destroy each other.

So, when designing a space, you need to consider which elements you need most in your home, and where to put those elements. Each element can represent different moods, personalities, and goals, so the balance of elements may be different depending on your personality and lifestyle. How the elements interact with each other can also influence where you put them.

Are Colors Important in Feng Shui?

Each element in Feng Shui corresponds with certain characteristics like colors and shapes. So, colors play a big role in the balance of elements and Qi in a room. Certain colors evoke different meanings and work best in certain rooms, so take that into consideration when focusing on interior design.

Meanings of Colors in Feng Shui

Each color in Feng Shui has a unique meaning and purpose. Using the colors incorrectly could throw off the balance and harmony of a space. So, below are some tips on how to use colors based on their meanings.

Red

Red Chinese room design

Red is the most common color associated with the fire element because its intensity symbolizes fire well. It can be a powerful color, so you only need to use it in small amounts throughout your home. It can help redirect energy to different areas.

Meaning

Passion, power, high energy, stimulation, bold

When to Avoid it

Avoid red if you have anxiety or insomnia since it can be a lot to take in. It’s not ideal for places where you need to relax.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Red is ideal for rooms that require energy and creativity, such as a playroom or office. It can also work well in a dining room to trigger an appetite.

Orange

Orange chairs interior design

Orange is another color associated with fire because of its high energy, but dull orange may be associated with earth. It’s often viewed as a social color because of how eye-catching it is.

Meaning

Creativity, enthusiasm, lively, extroverted

When to Avoid it

Keep orange away from areas that are supposed to be relaxing because it could disrupt the peaceful space.

What Rooms it Works Best in

It’s best for social spaces, like the living room and dining room. Even so, it should only be used to accent the other colors to prevent it from overpowering the room.

Yellow

Yellow table in front of white wall

Bright yellows are usually associated with fire while pale yellows are more likely to be associated with earth. Yellow is typically an uplifting and mentally stimulating color that can encourage creativity.

Meaning

Joy, lightheartedness, intelligence, stimulation, active

When to Avoid it

If you get stressed easily, yellow can make it worse in large quantities. It’s also not a good color for areas made for relaxing.

What Rooms it Works Best in

It’s perfect for rooms where creativity thrives, such as kitchens and studios. It’s easiest on the eyes if it’s an accent color or a pale version of yellow.

Green

Feng Shui green background

Green is the ultimate symbol of peace and harmony. It’s a sign of renewal and fresh energy, so it’s used often in Feng Shui designs. It’s typically associated with wood or earth elements.

Meaning

Health, growth, harmony, peace, nature, balance

When to Avoid it

Since green has so many beneficial meanings, it’s rare that you’ll ever want to avoid it.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Green can work best in any room, but it’s perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, and offices because those are areas you’ll especially want to feel peaceful in.

Light Blue

Light blue room deocrations

Light blue is associated with the water element. All types of blues are calming, but light blue and blue-green focus more on youthfulness and new beginnings than deeper blues do.

Meaning

Peace, youthfulness, encouragement, truth, new beginnings

When to Avoid it

Like green, light blue is rarely avoided because it’s peaceful while also adding some excitement.

What Rooms it Works Best in

It’s the perfect color for accents around the house, especially in spaces for embracing youthfulness or an inner child, such as bedrooms, playrooms, and studios.

Dark Blue

Bathroom with blue tiles

Dark blue shares a lot of similarities with light blue, but it focuses more on knowledge and experience instead. It’s still a calming color that’s associated with the water element.

Meaning

Peace, wisdom, loyalty, confidence, honesty

When to Avoid it

If you often feel sad or depressed when home alone, limit the amount of blue used in your space.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Blue can work well as an accent in any room, but lots of blue should be used in relaxing rooms such as bedrooms and bathrooms.

Purple

Closeup of purple spa items

Purple is associated with the fire element because it’s another vibrant color that you can’t take your eyes off. It’s often associated with nobility and wealth, so not everyone uses it frequently in Feng Shui.

Meaning

Luxury, romance, nobility, spirituality, motivation

When to Avoid it

If you want to feel more humble and connected to the Earth, using a lot of purple might stray away from those goals.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Purple can work in any room that you want to feel special, but it’s most commonly used in bedrooms and office spaces.

White

Clean white home interior

White is linked to the metal element. Since it’s the absence of color, it represents a blank slate and welcomes new beginnings. It’s generally perceived positively.

Meaning

Cleanliness, purity, vibrancy, light

When to Avoid it

If you want a room to feel familiar, white shouldn’t be the main color. It also shouldn’t be used in wet areas since water elements can dissolve metal ones.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Rooms that welcome change and new traditions are great for white, such as rooms where guests are invited, like the living room and dining room.

Black

Black water fountain

In Feng Shui, black can either be associated with metal or water. It’s a bold color that can easily overpower other colors if used too much. It’s often used to balance white.

Meaning

Power, independence, protection, mystery

When to Avoid it

If you’re an optimistic, uplifting person, using too much black in a room design may negatively impact your mood and lead to depression.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Black can work well in any room as long as it’s used in small amounts. It works best for accents in a room, such as picture frames and small pieces of furniture.

Brown

Brown table decor

Brown is typically associated with earth and wood elements, depending on the type of brown. It’s a neutral color that goes with most of the other colors, and it’s often used to balance out other hues in a design.

Meaning

Stability, humility, nurture, quiet, grounding

When to Avoid it

If you’re looking to try new things and express yourself, using too much brown may make it difficult to achieve that.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Brown can work well in almost any room, but it’s perfect for living rooms and dens because of its welcoming feel.

Gray

Elegant gray home office

Gray is part of the metal element, no matter what shade or tint you use. It’s a neutral color that can be present in most rooms of the house. It’s the perfect balance between black and white.

Meaning

Helpfulness, harmony, balance, travel

When to Avoid it

Too much gray can hold people back from expressing themselves. Since it’s always a metal element, it should stay away from wet areas of the home.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Hints of gray can work in any room, but gray works best in rooms where people help each other, such as the living room, office, or kitchen.

Pink

Pink flower decorations

Pink is a more delicate version of red, but it’s still associated with fire. It’s rarely used in large quantities, but it’s often associated with love and care. However, the love isn’t always romance; it can also be related to friends, family, or self-love.

Meaning

Love, romance, nurture, peace, softness

When to Avoid it

If you’re hoping to be more assertive and confident, too much pink could get in the way.

What Rooms it Works Best in

Pink is ideal for lively rooms where your loved ones will spend time, such as the living room or dining room. It can make a good accent color in any space.

Using Feng Shui Colors in Your Home

Feng shui background

If you want to follow Feng Shui when designing your home, you need to be cognizant of the energy in your home and how each room should feel. Once you’ve determined those factors, you can decide which colors and elements you want to see in certain spaces. By following the color meanings of Feng Shui, you can make your life feel more energized and balanced.