五行, the five phases
Feng Shui Colors
Color in feng shui rests on the five phases and the balance among them, not on any single lucky hue.
Colors and the phases
Which color belongs to which phase
Wood is green and teal; Fire is red, orange, and pink; Earth is yellow, beige, and brown; Metal is white, gray, and metallics; Water is black and deep blue. Practitioners add a phase a space feels short of, aiming for balance rather than a single best color. By compass direction, south leans Fire red, the north leans Water blue and black, the east and southeast lean Wood green, the west and northwest lean Metal white and gold, and the southwest and northeast lean Earth tones.
Calm or lively
Yin colors and yang colors
Soft blues, greens, and muted earth tones read as more yin, 陰, and quiet, and are favored where you rest. Strong reds, bright oranges, and vivid contrasts read as more yang, 陽, and lively, and suit social or work spaces. Most rooms take a mix, weighted toward the mood you want.
An honest note
Classical or modern Western
Many popular charts that assign one color to one life area come from the Black Hat, or BTB, tradition, a modern Western school, not from classical Chinese texts, which lean on the five phases and real compass directions. Both are used today, and it helps to know which one a color tip is drawing from.
Keep exploring
More of the Feng Shui hub
See how this shapes your own space in the Habitat, or find your animal on the Oracle.