Feng Shui Colours – White

There are said to be more shades of white than any other colour in the painting world and if you don’t believe me, check it out at your next paint store. It is a great colour to use as a blank canvas to allow other colours to shine and for decor to stand out, just think of art galleries. White is also known in the art colour cycle as a non-colour along with black and yet, it is the top-selling colour for a t-shirt or to paint a room. It is also the colour of both death in Asian countries, and new life and beginnings as in European weddings. In Feng Shui practice, white represents the Metal element which is seen as being a crisp, clean and honest energy. On the down side, the Metal element can be seen as blunt, cold and harsh and is best partnered with the Earth element as this polishes and softens the bluntness of Metal.

Career and Life Path

The dominant colour here should be black and what a chic look can be achieved when used with white! Make sure that both colours are equally balanced as they represent the Water and Metal elements. This is about creating a calm but flowing element in our lives developing our Life Path, no rushing water/emotion or too much honesty.  Our front entrance door to the whole apartment or house has often been in this sector. White has been used and we have usually painted the inner door black or dark blue. The black touches give a sense of elegance and looks very chic softening the look whilst the blue offers the calm element of water. We have reused this combination in our current entrance in France and it is still stylish.

Inner Knowledge

This is the area with the Earth element and ceramics, sky blue and fresh greens should be used here ideally. White can be used as in the Feng Shui cycle, Earth polishes the Metal element and it offers a background for the blues and greens to stand out and represent growth and new life. If your front door opens in this area it is usually in the Life Path or Inner Knowledge sector and white may be the best background colour for the entrance. Often you will read Feng Shui articles stating that the front door should be a classic red but this isn’t always the best colour to choose for a front door, there are alternatives and need to be appropriate for the sector according to the Bagua map.

Family and Health

This is the sector of the Wood element and Metal is said to cut Wood down. Basically, the Metal element is cutting down your energy and white isn’t recommended! It is best to use other colours if possible but don’t panic if you have a white kitchen in this area. Remember the five elements process where you use the full cycle to balance this area. Our past tiny French kitchen was in the sector with plenty of white cupboards. We added strong green accessories, a stone floor to represent Earth and hot plates to represent Fire. If you have a living space here boost up the greens, wood and stone accessories.

Communication and Creativity

White is the dominant colour here and Metal is the element so this is perfect for this area. However, if this is a bedroom and particularly, a child’s room, it can look clinical and hard. Choose a softer shade of white with less blue in the base. There are some lovely white paper lanterns that add a gentleness to this area. If it is your living area, consider it a place to put hobbies, art work and a place for self-expression. If your office is here, place your communication in this place including your phone and computer.

Travel and Helpful People

Grey and white are perfect here as they represent Water and Metal. Use dove greys and softer shades of white to avoid a harsh look or it can represent a blunt energy. You can often find great black and grey prints or maps for travel. Our French bathroom is in this sector and that required balancing the Water element as highlighted in past bathroom posts. Feng Shui practice often mentions the management of bathrooms and reducing the Water element. This means that the bathroom can drain the Travel and Helpful People aspects and we all need those! We added dark grey stone floors with white and grey marble for a chic bathroom.

Where to Avoid Using White

The other sectors in the Bagua map are all about fire and growth. Fire melts the energy of Metal, and Wood is cut down by Metal. It is best to use white as the background colour in these areas to enhance the dominant colours of reds and greens. Ideally, use other shades of white that have a warmer hue or break out and try soft greens and greys. As Greg Parrish said, “If time were a colour, I bet it would be a tasteful off-white”.