Feng Shui reminds us that everything is connected, and that our physical surroundings have a significant impact on our mind, body, and spirit. It teaches us to be mindful caretakers of our environments, so that we may be mindful caretakers of our lives. - fastfengshui.com
Do you Feng Shui? How do you define balancement and emotions within your home decor?
We all know that color within the home can play a vital role in its effect on our moods and energy levels, but many times we do not know how to use color properly to acquire the mood that we are looking for within our space. We will dabble a bit into the different color spectrums and briefly cover the moods that they are sure to bring to your abode with the focus of Feng Shui.
Feng Shui (pronounced fung-shway) In English, simply means wind and water. We all look for creative and effective ways to bring peace, creativity, prosperity, and balance within our homes, and Feng Shui is an element that can aid in the balancement of your energy when in your home. Feng Shui uses 5 basic elements to create balancement and positive “Chi”(energy). These five elements are: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. “According to Chinese traditions, everything is constantly changing and interacting and that happens through these five main elements. In order to maintain proper balancement, you must use these elements according to their properties and characteristics.
The balancement of Yin & Yang(aka heaven & earth) also play a major role in feng Shui and there are colors that represent “yin” and there are colors that represent “yang”. Below you will find the five basic elements used in Feng Shui as well as a brief description of the “yin” and “yang” colors that are popularly associated with each element.
5 Basic Elements
Wood or “Mu”: signifies wealth, prosperity, innovation, creativity and birth, and it is a sociable element. Color: green.
Fire or “Huo”: signifies activity, warmth, enthusiasm, and energy to the places where it can be found. Be careful not to over indulge in fire colors, because just as a fire can consume its surroundings, so can having too many fire colors within one room. Be sure to maintain balancement to keep your fire element controlled. Color: red.
Reds: The color red is most commonly used within kitchens and dining rooms. Reason being is that it is most commonly associated with heat, warmth, and energy. Red is most definitely a fire color,just as much as shades of yellows and oranges are.
Earth or “Tu”: symbolizes stability, patience and honesty. Color: yellows and browns.
Metal or “Jin”: signifies success in career. Colors: white, gold, and silver.
Water or “Shui”: represents communication and travel. Color: black.
Yin Colors of Feng Shui: Yin colors in Feng Shui are colors that represent and give the effect of healing and relaxation:
Blues & Purples: Just as it may be relaxing to gaze at a crisp and cool blue sky, so it is with a crisp blue room! If you decide to use tranquil/cool blues, your room will be much more relaxing. This does not mean that you should only use it within the bedrooms or bath. If you have a hectic or fast paced schedule during the day, then painting at least one room within your home will help relax you after a long day at work. Blues, as well as greens will also make the room feel larger. Also, if you happened to work at home, the same still applies; an many times being a stay at home mother can become very stressful and hectic, so having a tranquil blue around will only help ease your stress. Most may say not to use tranquil blues in hallways and in the kitchen or dining room, but you must evaluate your mood when you are in these rooms. If you always feel rushed and anxious in the kitchen or during dinner, then you may want to consider using a cool blue or cool purple. The beauty about cool colors is that they always compliment fire colors, so you can add a bit of fire and energy when you need it.
Blue: blue is calm and soothing. This color has great significance in Feng Shui as it reflects love as it heals and relaxes. Blue creates a feeling of peace and trust. Since it is the color of the sea and sky, Feng Shui associates it with adventure and exploration. Navy blue is the color of intellect and wisdom.
Purple: excellent for physical and mental healing and Feng Shui associates it with spiritual awareness.
Black: black symbolizes money and income, black is great for careers, especially when combined with metal. It is the Feng Shui color of emotional protection and power.
White: in Feng Shui the white color represents poise, confidence and purity. Because of its yin energy, Feng Shui uses this color mostly in combination with gold or silver to generate a calm atmosphere.
Yang Colors of Feng Shui: Yang colors in Feng Shui are more likely to relate to the elements of fire and wood. These colors represent enthusiasm and motivation:
Yellows & Oranges: These colors are definitely reflective and will exude sunlight quite beautifully! While it may not be effective in a dimly lit room, it is however in a large well lit room that receives lots of sunlight during the day. Be sure not to use bright hues of yellow in your childs room as it can have a disruptive effect to your baby. Because of the reflective properties of yellow, warm yellows can be hard on the eyes of a little baby. Choose a soft butter like yellow instead. Yellows work great in family rooms and kitchens as well. The reason why you will want to make sure that you use yellow in a well lit room is because if it is not, then the yellow may have the tendency to take on a brownish/mustard tone, and may clash with the intended energy and color scheme.
Yellow: Yellow represents the sun, warmth, motion, and cheerfulness.
Orange: used to enhance concentration. If you are looking for creative inspiration, then shades /tones of oranges would do you good when incorporating it into your creative space. Orange is also the color of organization.
Feng Shui Your Kitchen, Feng Shui Your Life, Color Healing Home, Healing Home, Fast Feng Shui: 9 Simple Principles for Transforming Your Life by Energizing Your Home, Feng Shui Chic: Stylish Designs for Harmonious Living
Remember, when choosing the shade of paint for your rooms, be sure to not pick an over-saturated color. By doing so, your color will be filled with more irritability than the mood that you are searching for. If you are having difficulty choosing a color for your home, then I would suggest that you look at your local restaurants that carry a theme and relate that thee to how it makes you feel. For example, if you like your local Mexican eatery you will find that it is filled with warm and vibrant colors and foliage, and may exude a festive/uplifting feel. If you visit an Italian restaurant then you will find more earth tones and you may feel more laid back and less worried. Then if you visit a Moroccan restaurant you will find a nice mix of cool and warmth, which may give you a feeling of excitement as well as balancement. You can also find inspiration in picking a room color by flipping though some magazines and cutting out rooms that you like, and then write down next to the photos how looking at each room makes you feel. So, I think you get the picture.
