How to choose the best color for a room
Website design By BotEap.comThree times this week I have had to question clients who have received incorrect advice on colors for their homes, either from the internet or from a previous consultant. Naturally, it inspired this article in which I’ll go over how a classic Feng Shui audit determines the best and worst colors to use.
Website design By BotEap.comI should mention that many practitioners acknowledge that colors do not wield anywhere near the real power of the actual elements. For example, the color blue and black may resonate with the element of water, but these colors cannot compete with real water when necessary.
Website design By BotEap.comThere are also many practitioners who are not fully aware of how the Five Element Theory influences color choices and simply rely on the New Age version of Feng Shui, which is heavily loaded with Western Color Psychology. For example, many will say that if a woman wants to attract love into her life, she should have pink in her bedroom. While I do believe that colors can affect us emotionally and pink tends to soften the perception of the person wearing the color pink, I don’t think this practice can work on any level other than as a placebo. Another incorrect assumption is that red is a “power” color. The color red can increase your appetite, but it’s not necessarily a color to wear when you want to be more authoritative at work or increase financial luck. In fact, the color red in the wrong place can promote arguments, accidents and even serious health problems.
Website design By BotEap.comThere is a very popular, but oversimplified way of choosing colors and it is derived from the inherent elements associated with the eight basic directions. As an example, the direction of south is associated with the element of Fire in the “Later Heaven” Sequence of the Luo Shu. The color red is associated with fire and therefore some people are under the impression that the southern sector of a floor plan needs red. This is such a generic way of relating to the theory of the eight trigrams that it is a dangerous premise on which to base important decisions.
Website design By BotEap.comOne of my clients this week thought she should paint her son’s bedroom yellow since the room is in the northeast section of the house. She forgot why she had recommended another color. It is true that the northeast direction resonates in part with the earth element and the colors of the earth include yellow and brown. But I repeated to her that there is much more to that part of her house than the singular identification that it is in the northeast. Another client thought that she should only use the color green in her east kitchen because east is intrinsically related to the wood phase and wood colors are any shade of green.
Website design By BotEap.comThere is a hierarchy to determine the best color and initially we should compare the relationship between two non-obvious energies in a room. Each directional sector of a house has an energy field that was created when the house was built and in combination with its orientation. The verbiage we use in classical Feng Shui to describe these forces of electromagnetism are “mountain star” and “water star.” These energies are given numerical encoding, but we refer to the numbers as “stars.” These stars are also related to the Big Dipper stars, as the principles of Feng Shui originate directly from astronomy.
Website design By BotEap.comIf we have a conflict between the two energies, a third energy can be introduced to mitigate the imbalance. The actual item is ideal, but the color can also be used as a backup booster. For example, suppose a person’s bedroom is a combination of metal and fire (not obvious, but can be calculated). This is a shock that can cause head or lung problems. In the Theory of the Five Elements, the earth will extract the energy from the fire and deliver it to the metal, strengthening it. A real earthen object, such as something made of clay or marble might work in the room. And an earth color like yellow or brown could be added for good measure. This could be the case if the location is northwest or south or any direction on the floor plan. Of course, the element associated with the direction may have some subtle influence, but first we have to resolve a clash between the energies just described.
Website design By BotEap.comThis may sound complicated and many will still gravitate towards the easy answers and what I call the “Top Ten” lists of do’s and don’ts. But Feng Shui is much more individualized and sophisticated than the average person is aware of. By delving into Xuan Kong Fei Xing, (Flying Star School), one can learn about these energy principles that are related in time and space.
Website design By BotEap.comIt goes without saying that a person should not feel compelled to wear a color they don’t like, just based on Feng Shui recommendations. We cannot ignore personal preferences as many people have subjective, but real, aversions to certain colors. The good news is that there are so many color options available that we can find a good alternative for almost any person or place.