You’ve almost certainly heard of feng shui before. Chances are, you’ve already deployed some of the fundamental principles of this traditional practice in your home. Good feng shui can create harmony and bring balance to your interiors. For living spaces, bedrooms and home studies, it’s an obvious fit.
However, you probably haven’t thought about using it in the kitchen. This is a missed opportunity. After all, the kitchen is one of the busiest parts of the home. It’s a place to cook, dine and entertain friends and family. If your kitchen is a multifunctional space, it might also be where you work.
Most feng shui experts suggest keeping clutter to a minimum, introducing natural materials and experimenting with ingenious lighting arrangements. However, if you really want to play to the strengths of feng shui, you’ll need to rethink your kitchen colour palette.
Why Consider Feng Shui Colours?
Feng shui practitioners often talk about the five elements. These are earth, water, fire, metal and wood. Ideally, all five feng shui elements should be incorporated to create harmony and enrich your interiors.
However, introducing certain elements isn’t always easy as far as feng shui kitchen design is concerned. Wooden kitchen cabinets and metallic fixtures take care of two elements, but earth, fire and water can be a little more tricky to pull off. One way you can get around this is by playing around with feng shui kitchen paint colours.
The wood element represents growth and vitality. Along with wooden cabinets, you can enhance this element by using paint colours like green, brown and blue. The metal element is synonymous with precision and simplicity. Silver, beige and white are all good metal feng shui colours for kitchen makeovers.
The fire element is particularly expressive, promoting passion and inspiration. Any paint colour that represents fire will work here. Fiery red and warmer shades are obvious choices, but more subtle hues like pink can also work.
The earth element represents groundedness and stability. When it comes to earth element colours, you have a lot of options. Light yellow, grey and brown can all be used. Finally, there’s the water element. This is said to bring good fortune and bring flow to a space. Good feng shui colour choices include blue and black.
Need some help selecting the right earth tones or water-inspired shades for your kitchen? Below are just some of the shades you’ll find available in Tikkurila’s extensive range.
Green
In feng shui, green is the colour of regeneration and renewal. It’s also heavily tied to the wood element. If you haven’t been able to bring this element to other aspects of your interior design, adding a splash of green to your walls is a good idea.
A medium green like Silk Road S440 will help you enhance the feng shui credentials of any kitchen. As well as inviting some outdoor influences to your space, blue undertones mean you can pair it with a wide range of cool colours.
If that’s not vibrant enough for your liking, try Cross Of St. Chris. This mint green hue is fresh and uplifting, making it one of the more kitchen-friendly shades in your collection.
Purple is connected to the fire element in feng shui and represents wealth and prosperity. If you’re a firm believer in feng shui principles, aim to use it in the southeast corners of your kitchen.
A lavender purple like Minuet X344 is a subtle way to bring those fire element principles to your kitchen. As it’s relatively subtle, you can use it liberally, while the warm undertones make it a welcome pairing with wood cabinets and dark granite countertops.
In a more contemporary kitchen, try a colour like Violet Y344. This is technically a soft grey, although lilac undertones put it comfortably in the purple category. Those grey hints mean you’ll have no issues pairing it with all manner of materials and secondary colours.
White represents precision and purity. It’s also closely related to the metal element. Whether you’re a follower of feng shui or not, whites are always a good choice for kitchen makeovers.
A pure white like Paper F497 is a classic design choice. It’ll pair well with just about any shade you use alongside it. Whether you’re using barely-there neutrals or earthy colours, this timeless hue is the perfect companion.
If you’re not a fan of pure whites, try Winter V503. This off-white paint colour sports a subtle touch of grey, making it a great idea for contemporary kitchens.
The colour is tied to the water element, bringing peace and clarity to a room. What’s more, it’s thought to promote healing. Water can be a hard one to incorporate into your interior design, so using a splash of blue is a much easier way of welcoming the element into your kitchen.
A classic pastel like Forget Me Not H353 is a popular choice for kitchens. It’ll pair well with bright colours but looks equally at home alongside crisp white and neutral accents.
If you’d rather go with something with more character, try Sandman V431. This medium blue paint has a dusky and alluring quality, making it a good fit with more modern kitchen units and finishes.
In feng shui, grey is tied to the metal element. It’s also a tried and tested neutral colour, meaning you’re free to use it as liberally as you wish.
If the water element isn’t already represented in your kitchen, a colour like Bungalow G500 will kill two birds with one stone. This pale shade brings together both blue and grey, making it ideal for east-facing rooms.
For a more dramatic design scheme, try Whirlwind. This deep black is a brilliant choice for contemporary kitchens. What’s more, blue undertones mean you’re covering the metal and water elements with a single shade.
Other Ways to Bring Feng Shui Vibes to a Kitchens
Settling on a standout colour scheme is all well and good, but there are many ways you can make your kitchen feng shui-friendly. One of the most important factors to consider when overhauling your space is to keep it clean and keep clutter to an absolute minimum. If you’re redesigning your kitchen from scratch, think about adding concealed storage and avoiding things like open shelving.
The placement of kitchen essentials like stovetops is also crucial in feng shui. If you want to be a traditionalist, your stove should really be positioned so you can see the doorway while cooking. If this isn’t possible, think about hanging a mirror or installing mirrored tiles so you can maintain a clear view of the doorway as you work your way through meal prep.
During your kitchen decluttering, you should have already weaned out damaged and defective items. However, you might be holding on to a few chipped mugs or faulty appliances for sentimental reasons. Sadly, there’s no place for these kinds of things in a feng shui kitchen. Why? According to feng shui practitioners, those broken items can disrupt the flow of positive energy in your kitchen. If you are desperate to keep them, think about repairing them and embracing their imperfections instead.