The five elements, in color
Feng shui sees all things as five kinds of chi: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. They turn in a circle that never closes: wood feeds fire, fire leaves earth, earth bears metal, metal gathers water, and water feeds wood again. Each has its colors, and a color brings its element into a room without a word, so a home short of one element can be given it with a throw, a lamp or a wall.
Wood
Growth and new beginnings. Feng shui holds that wood lifts a room that feels stuck, and the old scholars paired it with kindness.
- Sage
- Forest
- Leaf
- Teal
Fire
Warmth, joy and presence. Fire gives a room its heart and was paired with courtesy; too much of it, feng shui warns, turns to temper.
- Vermilion
- Terracotta
- Plum
- Blush
Earth
Steadiness and trust. Earth holds a home together, the center every other element leans on.
- Ochre
- Sand
- Clay
- Camel
Metal
Clarity and resolve. Metal clears the head and gives a day clean edges; it was paired with doing what is right.
- Ivory
- Pearl gray
- Brass
- Pewter
Water
Depth, flow and wisdom. Water carries things forward and lets them settle, and wisdom was its virtue.
- Ink
- Navy
- Slate blue
- Mist blue
Questions people ask
What is my element in feng shui?
It is the element of your day master, the day you were born as the Chinese calendar counts it; in a birth chart, that day stands for you yourself. Many charts go by the birth year alone. The form at the top of this page finds your day master from your birth date.
What is my lucky color?
The colors of the elements your chart needs to come back into balance. A chart rich in one element and short of another leans one way; the elements that even it out are yours, and so are their colors, used where you sleep, work and come home.
What colors are best for a bedroom in feng shui?
Soft, light ones: off-white, light wood tones, pale green. A bedroom is for rest, and feng shui reads bold red as too much fire for it and all black as too much cold water. Your own colors belong there as small touches, a throw, a cushion, a lamp.