Feng Shui Colors

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When it comes to choosing the best colors for the rooms in your home the options can be overwhelming.  Personal preferences aside, certain colors just work better in certain rooms than others.  One thing that we often find helpful when choosing colors is to employ the principles of feng-shui.  Feng-shui (literally “wind-water”) is the ancient Chinese art of arranging our surroundings in such a way as to maximize health, love, and prosperity for ourselves and our families.  In addition to furniture and object arrangement, feng-shui principles also dictate that certain colors are more auspicious or favorable than others.

Here’s a brief rundown of the best colors for the different rooms in your home:

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Red: Stimulating and dominant, red makes a wonderful accent color in a variety of rooms.  It is associated with warmth, prosperity, and stimulation, but also with anger, hatred, and shame.  Red is not recommended for dining rooms, children’s bedrooms, kitchens, or workshops.

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Yellow: Associated with enlightenment and intellect, yellow stimulates the brain and also aids with digestion.  On the positive side yellow promotes optimism, reason, and decisiveness, with exaggeration and rigidity being it’s negatives.  Suitable for hallways and kitchens, but not for meditation rooms or bathrooms.

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Green: Symbolizing growth, fertility, and harmony, green is both restful and refreshing.  Linked with optimism, freedom, and balance, green can also encourage envy and deceit.  Green is a great choice for therapy rooms, conservatories, and bathrooms, but is not recommended for family rooms, playrooms, or studies.

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Blue: Peaceful and soothing, blue is linked with spirituality, mystery, and patience.  It’s positives are a sense of trust, faithfulness, and stability, while its negatives are suspicion and melancholy.  Blue is a great choice for meditation rooms, bedrooms, and therapy rooms, but not for family rooms, dining rooms, or studies.

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Purple: Impressive, dignified, spiritual, and vital, purple has long been linked with royalty.  Associated with excitement, passion, and motivation, purple can also inspire mournfulness and force.  Purple works well in bedrooms and meditation rooms, but is not an auspicious choice for bathrooms and kitchens.

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Pink: Associated with purity of thought, happiness, and romance, pink is one of the only colors without negative connotations (though, ironically, it is one of the most challenging colors to work with for decorators).  Suitable for bedrooms and meditation rooms, it is not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms.

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Orange: Powerful and cheerful, orange encourages open communication.  Positives are a sense of happiness, concentration, and intellect, with rebelliousness being its primary negative.  Orange is wonderful in living rooms, dining rooms, and hallways, but is too bold for small rooms and bedrooms.

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Brown: Providing a sense of stability and weight, brown has a very grounding presence.  On the positive side, brown is linked with safety and elegance, but its negatives include dinginess, depression, and aging.  It is a great color for studies and living rooms, but is not recommended for bedrooms.

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White: Symbolizing purity, innocence, and new beginnings, white is the most versatile interior color.  Positives include a feeling of freshness and cleanliness, with its negatives being starkness and a lack of warmth.  White is ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, and common areas, but not for dining rooms and children’s rooms.

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Black: Mysterious and independent, black is the neutral that always looks chic.  On the plus side, black is intriguing, strong, and alluring, but, as expected, it is also associated with evil, darkness, and death.  Often used in teenagers’ rooms and dining rooms, it is not recommended for small children’s rooms, studies, or living rooms.

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For professional advice on choosing your own most flattering colors check out our PaintIT decorating package!

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