Feng Shui Painting Tips

Painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to rejuvenate a room in to a well-balanced feng shui living space. Before you begin painting, it is important to understand how certain colors and choice elements will impact the feel of the room according to feng shui philosophy.

Color Therapy
Color therapy refers to how particular colors can visually impact your mood. For instance, many fast-food restaurants are painted bright yang colors, namely reds and yellows, which in excess invoke a sense of liveliness, in order to keep your experience fast-paced. Likewise, some prisons have taken to painting their walls pink because of its calming and sedative nature, a feminine color supposedly linked subconsciously to our time spent in the womb. Choose a color that invokes the spirit that you are looking to achieve in your daily life.

Elements
The elements play a large role in feng shui as well, as they are tied to Chinese astrology, and can be linked to strong colors and an individual’s natural traits. The Chinese elements are: water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. It is important to remember that everything physical is connected in Chinese philosophy, so individuals will be linked not only to elements, but to specific colors, elements, days, planets, directions, and so on. If your astrology is linked to wood, you might paint your bedroom green, the color for the element, which signifies wealth, prosperity, and creativity.

Yang Colors
Yang colors are comprised mainly of reds and yellows. Red is an upbeat and exciting color, which raises your pulse rate and stimulates the brain, and it is a great shade for rooms that you want to entertain in. It is also a great romantic color for the bedroom, though it is both powerful and overwhelming in excess and should be used perhaps as an accent color. Orange is a great color in rooms with a north facing wall or rooms you want to raise excitement. Orange has been used to reduce tiredness, depression, and pain as it is great for unblocking emotions and is associated with enthusiasm. Yellow, similar to orange, raises energy levels and dispels negative emotions. Yellow helps focus the mind and increases intellectual progress, though be weary of using it in bedrooms as it can be too energetic or intense.

Neutral
Green is a neutral color found in the middle of the spectrum, which makes it ideal for any room. It is a sociable color that signifies birth and innovation, and can create a sense of safety. You can use it to make a room feel larger, and to create a calm home environment from which to retreat from a busy lifestyle.

Yin Colors
Yin colors are comprised of shades that induce relaxation and healing, and when used as paint colors can enable those experiences. Pink is ultimately feminine, and has a calming sedative quality. Blue is said to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, as it is a soothing color that stimulates clear thought and effective communication. It is said to reflect love, and represents peace, trust, intellect, and wisdom. White stands for purity, and it effectively reflects light, but it can create a sense of isolation if not used in conjunction with other colors. Black is the color of emotional protection and power, and is great for promoting careers, especially when used in conjunction with metal, but it is not a color you would want to paint an entire room as it can be depressing as it absorbs all other colors. Purple is considered a psychic color attributed to meditation and healing. It creates personal introspection, and is a useful color if you feel emotionally or spiritually out of sorts.