An Introduction to Using Color in Feng Shui - Part 1

Anjie Cho February 1, 2023

Colors are some of the most important elements in creating holistic, nurturing spaces. The colors in our spaces can affect us, both emotionally and physically, and not all colors produce the same effect, based on our individual personalities. In feng shui, each color or color family also represents certain emotions and areas on the bagua map.

If you're working to adjust the energy in your home, office or school, take a look at color characteristics and give some thought to which ones are most appropriate for your personal needs.

Greens, Teals and Blues

Greens, teals and shades of blue are related to the Wood element and the New Beginnings area of the feng shui bagua and associated with hope, new beginnings and growth. If you're looking for a calming space or one that supports healing, whether physically or emotionally, these colors are for you!

Greens and blues invoke the energy of nature and can be very refreshing (think brighter colors) as well as promote rest (think lighter, softer hues). To incorporate these colors into your space, try painting a wall with a carefully selected shade, adding green plants or placing a Jade stone in the New Beginnings area of your space.

Purples and Violets

Just as greens and blues are symbolic of healing and growth in feng shui, the color purple is associated with wealth, abundance and often elegance and royalty. It's a very auspicious color in feng shui and can be used to attract wealth or self-worth.

As a combination of two very strong colors (passionate red and calming blue), purple has great potential to balance you and your space and bring harmony and peace to both.

To bring some purple to your home or office and promote abundance, use an appropriate shade of purple or add amethyst crystals or purple flowers.

Yellows, Oranges and Browns

Shades of yellow, orange and brown are representative of the qualities of nature. Deep, earthy, pale and neutral tones are generally calming and nurturing, but brighter colors, and especially shades of yellow, may be too stimulating for a relaxing atmosphere.

If you're thinking of adding these colors to your space, remember to save brighter, more intense shades of orange and yellow for areas like the kitchen (to arouse appetite) or the center of your home (to activate the Health area in the feng shui bagua).

There are, of course, many more colors on the color wheel, and the best colors for you depend on your unique situation. You can find more details on the feng shui symbolism of each color in my book, "108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces."

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Hitting the “Wow” Factor: Decorating a Shelf

Anjie Cho October 26, 2022

Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

I’ll let you in on a little decorating secret. The difference between a well-designed room and a “WOW!” designed room lies in the details. After you’ve picked out the right wall color and cozied up to your new favorite furniture, it’s time to pull together the finishing touches, like decorating a set of shelves. Go for the “wow!” by following these five tips.

Balance

Even voracious readers need bookshelves with more than just books. If books are a component of your shelving plans, create pockets of reading material balanced between decorative items such as framed photos, small sculptures and other collectibles. Intersperse your favorite reads with your decorative elements. The same applies to the functional shelving dedicated to your crafting supplies, your bathroom, kitchen and more!

Group sets of like items with other functional or decorative elements between them. In a bathroom, place a basket with your make-up between two different sets of towels. In the craft room, organize your fabric in complimentary tones, for example, and pepper baskets of sewing supplies, favorite photos and other trinkets in between the stacks. Try out different combinations!

Embrace Empty Space

A shelf stuffed full can crowd and overwhelm your space. Leave some wiggle room and blank spots. This isn’t about gaping holes. It can be more subtle than that. For example, try stacking taller books on their sides instead of placing them in the shelf upright. Leave space between the top of the stack and the shelf above it. Don’t wedge your items in tightly together. Leave small gaps to give a little breathing room and a peek at the back of your shelf unit or wall.

Jazz Up The Background

The oft ignored back panel of a book case is a canvas waiting to bring your space to life! Paint the inside of a bookcase a few shades darker than your wall color. Alternatively, go for a complementary paint color, decorative patterned paper or mirrors. Get creative. If you’re really up for something different, try alternating two complementary colors or a solid and a simple pattern behind every other shelf.

Get Eye Level

Grab a seat in the room and take a good look at which shelf falls at eye level. This should be your focal point. Use that shelf to feature your photos, artwork or other favorite elements. Then sit back and enjoy the view.

Layer It Up

You can create the illusion of deeper shelves by layering items. Push a grouping of books toward the back and place a small piece of art in front of them. Use natural items like coral and stones in front of framed and matted prints. The one-two (or three!) punch of elements will trick the eye into seeing a space with more depth than the shelf really has.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Make Room for Metal and Clarity with the Autumnal Equinox

Anjie Cho September 14, 2022

yellow autumn leaves on tree branch — Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

I can't believe it's already time to say goodbye to summer! In a few days, we will experience this year's Autumnal Equinox and feel the shift from long, warm summer days to shorter, crisper fall days before we head into winter. Many of our friends have shared incredible ways to adjust to the new season and welcome the equinox. Be sure to check those posts out! We've also pulled together a few tips for this year to make autumn your best season yet!

What is the Autumnal Equinox?

Let's cover the important bases, first. Just what is the equinox, and why is it so important? The September equinox, also referred to as the Autumnal Equinox, marks the point in the year when the sun crosses the celestial equator, a sort of extension of the earth's equator that "sits" above the planet, from north to south. So essentially, the sun is crossing the earth's equator.

The term "equinox" comes from Latin roots "aequus" and "nox", meaning "equal night," which corresponds to the belief that, on an equinox, night and day are equal length. As it turns out, daylight still typically lasts longer than night. The center of the sun sets 12 hours after rising on this day, but each half of the sun still has to travel through the sky, so day and night times will vary. In fact, the equinox is not an all-day event, but the specific moment when the center of the sun reaches this point. This year, in Eastern time, that will happen at 4:02 pm on September 22.

For everyday purposes, the equinox most notably represents the change from summer to autumn. As some of our holistic experts have noted, this is the time to move from yang energy, high activity and cool foods to more inward, yin energy, self-care and a warming, nourishing diet. And, based on the feng shui bagua map and five elements, autumn is a season of Metal.

Autumn and the Metal Element

In feng shui and the five elements theory, the autumn season corresponds to the Metal element and the Completion area of the bagua, which relates to the color white, the number seven and the element of joy. Metal is also associated with clarity.

If you're looking to update your space for the new season, you might think you should add more Metal. But in fact, for the most part, because this season carries more of this element, there can be an overabundance of Metal. Metal relates to metallic colors (think gold, silver) and the colors white and grey, as well as to joy and the mouth, and governs order and beauty. It's associated with efficiency and organization, circular shapes and a general turning inward. So what does an overabundance of Metal mean? Metal out of balance can be rigid and inflexible, stuck on having everything perfect. Since Metal is related to the mouth and speech, individuals with an excess of this element often speak without precision and boundaries. If this describes you in fall, you may have too much Metal!

Some ways to adjust a Metal imbalance: add Water, which drains Metal, or Wood, which dulls and softens the Metal element. For more Water, try enjoying walks along the water, bringing wavy patterns into your space or incorporating the sound of water into your home, like with music or a fountain. If you'd rather add Wood, add blue and green tones or plants to your space! Check out our My Favorite Things series for more insight on adding Water and Wood.

Get Clarity with Metal

Autumn is also the time for harvest, both in agriculture and metaphorically in life. The planting season is ending, so maybe it's good to look at this in terms of your life and space. What no longer serves you in your home? It could be as literal as summer clothes you haven't worn in three years or letting go of old food in the fridge and composting it. Think about things or people in your life that are no longer serving you, as well. Metal element can also be like a sharp sword, cutting through what's unnecessary. It's time to harvest what's come to fruition, look at why some things didn't grow and think about planning for the next year.

Take some time as we transition to fall and consider how your "harvest" has turned out. And what do kind of energies do we want invite the next time around?

by Anjie Cho