feng shui & the colour white in your home

The use of colour around your home is very important in feng shui work. In this interview for Psychologies magazine, Alexandra Lees shares her feng shui design advice on the colour white and how to use it successfully in your home.

White is a powerful ‘Yang’ colour and is great energy reviver. In the home, the colour white is a very helpful feng shui cure and can be used for troubleshooting in small, dark and dingy areas…”

alex, does the colour white have a particular meaning in Chinese culture?

In China, the colour white is very auspicious. It symbolises purity, clarity and brilliance.

White is also associated with death in China and so it is often used at funerals (in ancient times the Chinese would also wear white clothes during a period of mourning).

In Chinese medicine, the colour white is related to the metal element and the Lung and Large Intestine organs. If there is an imbalance in the ‘energy’ of these organs this can produce a pale, chalky white complexion and this is why some traditional Chinese medicine doctors also use facial colour as a diagnostic tool for lung and digestive complaints.

what does white mean in the world of feng shui?

In feng shui, every colour is considered to have a different energy (Qi / Chi) vibration. Colour can be used any space as a great way to rebalance and harmonise the energy of your surroundings so that it positively supports you and your lifestyle.

White is a powerful ‘Yang’ colour and is great energy reviver. In the home, the colour white is a very helpful feng shui cure and can be used for troubleshooting in small, dark and dingy areas of the house where stagnant energy accumulates.

The bright and reflective qualities of white means it can lift the heavy energy of darker spaces. For north-facing rooms or those with little natural light, white walls, fabrics and accessorises can maximise the potential of incoming light to reinvigorate the energy of these areas.

In smaller spaces, where the energy flow may be overly constrained or suppressed, the colour white will bring a greater sense of airiness and freedom of movement. A brilliant white ceiling will immediately lift the energy in any small room.

The reviving qualities of white can also help support you and your life goals. White signifies starting over, new beginnings and unbridled creativity. In feng shui, white is thought to ‘create space’ for positive energy to enter your life – this could mean more money, supportive people or fresh opportunities or insights.

So, if you are embarking on a new chapter in your life, beginning a new project, or just needing to stimulate some out-of-the-box thinking, introducing the colour white into the spaces where you spend time focusing on these matters will help create the perfect setting for the positive to manifest. If you are able to combine white décor with a decluttering of these spaces this will also amplify the impact. This is just like starting afresh with a blank sheet of paper!

White in feng shui is also associated with the qualities of confidence and authority. White says: ‘look at me I have nothing to hide’! This is why white can be great to use in both your environment and in your clothes when you want to assert a sense of power underpinned by white’s other qualities of purity, honesty and integrity. So this is why white can be a helpful colour choice in meeting rooms, rooms for entertaining new friends or clients, or as a clothes choice when you want to look your best for an important job interview or presentation.

what relationship do your feng shui design clients have with the colour white?

In general, I believe people are now more comfortable with using the colour white in their home. It’s no longer perceived as being daring, cheap or vulgar as it was a few decades ago.

Often people have a reluctance to using white in their homes because it can easily get dirty or marked and so is considered to be ‘high maintenance’. From a feng shui perspective, this need for ongoing attention and care is actually viewed as a positive as it ensures that the energy of your space remains fresh and vibrant. This situation can be contrasted with the use of darker colours in the home which can often mask dirt for many years but if poorly maintained will lead to stale and stagnant energy.

Certainly, white can be dismissed as being too cold or clinical and, when used without careful design consideration or used in excess, this can definitely be true! White should be applied thoughtfully on a room-by-room basis to achieve a comfortable energy balance.

For example, in an already cold and dark room using too much stark, brilliant white can make the room even more unwelcoming and encourage a sense of isolation. This is why considering the tone of white when picking a paint or fabric colour is vital. I would typically recommend using warm whites, such a creamy whites with hints yellow and pink, rather than cold whites, with undertones of grey, blue or violet, in north-facing spaces.

When I suggest using the colour white some clients are concerned that it will look too plain or boring. I show them how subtle changes in the tone of white chosen for ceilings, woodwork, walls and fabrics, plus the use of different textures in white fabrics and materials, can bring a new level of design sophistication and complexity that is very appealing.

The beauty of white is that it is also a great colour combiner and will work well with all colours. At home, you don’t need to recreate the minimalist feel of an art gallery for white to have a positive effect. I reassure my clients that there is no need to let go of their favourite colours when using white. A large white wall or statement piece of white or off-white furniture can act as a perfect blank canvas and backdrop to their favourite colourful pictures and accessories and will also allow them to shine.

Some clients can also be scared of the feeling of ‘emptiness’ created by white and so want to immediately rush to add lots of colour or visual clutter and busyness to a white space. The problem is that this then dilutes the potency of the white.

It’s interesting that in the West, the concept of emptiness often has negative connotations but in Eastern traditions, emptiness is considered to be a desirable state, full of possibilities and potential.

A simple white room with few other visual distractions will allow you to pause, settle your busy mind and be more ‘in the moment’. Without the fuss or overwhelm of colour you begin to notice the subtle play of sunlight and shadows on a wall or as it dances and moves across a space. In this way, the colour white can seamlessly connect you back to the outside world and can be very calming and grounding. From this place of inner-stillness, profound creativity and insight can arise.

what feng shui tips and advice can you offer our readers to help them use the colour white?

Here are five simple questions that will help readers focus on how to use white as a force for good in their home and life:

1: Are there any dark or small rooms and corridors in your home? Consider using white to reinvigorate the energy or these.

2: Where are the areas of your home where you like to relax and unwind? White could be used in these spaces to help you become more contemplative and mindfully ‘in the moment’.

3: What spaces do you use when you want to be creative, plan career, money or personal projects, or to simply tap into your intuition and fresh insights? This could be a home-office, your desk area, or where you enjoying doing creative tasks or hobbies. Consider how you could introduce more white into these spaces.

4: When do you most want to command authority and ooze confidence? Think about switching out serious blacks and darker colours and dressing yourself and your home in bold white statement pieces.

5: Are you at the end of an old chapter or embarking on a new chapter in your personal life or career? Think about how you could bring more white into your surroundings to help you mentally and emotionally start over, reset and refresh.

is there an easy way for people to ‘do the right thing’ with the colour white?

There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ – it’s always about achieving the appropriate ‘balance’ and this is very personal to the individual.

Don’t think you have to go to the ‘extremes’ with white and how you use it – white should rarely be used in an all or nothing way.

Begin with small interventions of white on a room-by-room basis in your home or with individual pieces of statement clothing in your wardrobe. Then test to see how comfortable these changes are for you (see exercise above).

If you are happy and enjoy the results, then introduce more white and begin to play with different tones and textures of white. If the white feels too much then reintroduce small pops or your favourite colour to help rebalance the energy.

want more support

Learn more about Alex’s feng shui and mindful design work and how she can help you.

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