Guide · ZAIA Design

Feng Shui Colors and Plants for Your Home

Colors and plants are the simplest Feng Shui "remedies", because you can change them without renovating. They are tied to the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — and to the function of each room.

The five elements and their colors

Element	Colors	Where it is often used
Wood	green, turquoise	living room, office — growth, new beginnings
Fire	red, orange, hot pink	small accents, the fame area
Earth	beige, terracotta, warm yellow	bedroom, dining — stability
Metal	white, gray, gold, silver	office, hallway — clarity
Water	dark blue, black	accents, the career area

The idea is not to paint a room in a single "lucky" color, but to balance the elements. A neutral, earth-toned base with accents from the other elements works almost anywhere — and it is also the basic rule of an interior that doesn't go out of style.

Colors room by room

Bedroom: warm, calming colors — beige, skin tones, powder pink, sage green. Red only in small accents. See Feng Shui in the bedroom.
Living room: green and wood tones for a lively atmosphere, with warm accents.
Kitchen: white, cream, wood; intense red and black in large amounts are considered too strong next to fire and water.
Office: warm white, gray, green accents — clarity and focus.
Bathroom: light, warm colors, with touches of green (plants) to "balance" the water.

Feng Shui plants for an apartment

Jade plant (Crassula) — associated with prosperity, hardy, suited to the entrance or the wealth area.
Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) — grows in water too, good for small spaces.
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) — nearly indestructible, tolerates the low light of hallways.
Pothos — a trailing plant, great on high shelves.
Ficus and monstera — large, rounded leaves, for the living room.

Plants with sharp, pointed leaves, such as cacti, are considered in Feng Shui better suited outdoors or by a window than in the bedroom. The most important rule, though, is a practical one: a dried-out or sickly plant does more harm than none at all — choose plants that suit the light you have.