The Chinese practice of feng shui is all about creating a harmonious balance of energy and flow within your home. When it comes to your interiors, decorating according to feng shui principles will influence where you position furniture, how your home is laid out, the colours you use and what is hung on walls and where.
Typically, these choices are dictated by the five elements of feng shui: water, metal, fire, wood and earth.
According to feng shui, the colours you use in your bedroom should reflect the energy you want to manifest in the space. After all, the colours will influence your energy, mood and overall wellbeing every day.
Your goal in a bedroom should be to create a peaceful environment for relaxation, rest and intimacy. To do that, you should keep the main tones neutral or subdued.
According to Feng Shui Practitioner Kelly McCloskey (@thefengshuigirl on Instagram), “If you want to be bright with your colours, keep them in the active rooms such as living, dining and kitchens. Keep your bedrooms neutral in their colour tone – whites, greys, etc.”
Why, you may wonder? Bright, bold colours will be over-stimulating and rather than encourage restful sleep, will distract you from it. But that isn’t to say you can’t have any colour in your bedroom.
Opt for muted tones of elemental colours of feng shui for feature walls and accessories.
Let’s find the right element to inspire your bedroom colour palette.
1. Fire
Fire holds the energy of passion and love, encouraging liveliness and open-mindedness, according to feng shui. Adding accents of ‘fire’ colours will foster positive energy, creativity and cheerfulness.
Think pops of red, yellow and orange. These can feel uplifting without being overwhelming and create a sense of comfort and optimism which is perfect to start and end the day. They’re also associated with emotional balance and harmony in feng shui, making them the best for promoting comfort and emotional wellbeing in relationships.

2. Earth
Create a cosy, tranquil environment by bringing the colours of earth and nature into your bedroom.
This could be using brown, green, beige, cream and any tone in between to promote restful sleep and comfort.
Earthy tones are grounding, restorative and stabilising in feng shui, making them great options for fostering a sense of security and balance in a bedroom.

3. Metal
In feng shui, metal is the energy of productivity and completion. Including metallic accessories in your bedroom will nurture a controlled, organised and focused energy.
Choose metallic accessories or include accents of gold, silver, bronze, rose-gold or copper on your furnishings. For paint colours, consider whites, greys or even very pale blues.
Picture frames, mirrors or lamps are easy ways to bring in that feng shui metal element and put a shine on your energy.

4. Water
Looking out to the ocean, it’s impossible not to feel its energy. In feng shui, the water element is associated with movement, opportunities and abundance.
Bringing the colours of the sea into your bedroom is a perfect way to foster an easy-going, fluid energy in your day-to-day.
Think blue, teal, aqua and black as a bedspread, bedhead or accessory in the space.

5. Wood
Find yourself transported into the middle of a forest when you lay your head to rest by incorporating a deep-toned colour theme.
This could be with green, blue/green combinations and browns.
Wood is the element of birth, growth and creativity in feng shui. But having too much wood can make you inflexible and stubborn. It’s all about balance! A touch of timber in the bedroom supports a calming, flexible energy and will look stunning, too.
