There is a Feng Shui theory behind the best color for the exterior of your house and it is partly based on the orientation of the house. Each house has an orientation; it is facing a certain direction that can be defined by a compass. There are eight basic directions: North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest.

The real character or strength of a house is determined by its “sitting direction,” which can be described as the back of the house.  A house that faces North, will “sit” in the South.  If you as a person are facing east, then your back is to west, so it is the same principle with houses.

When you know what the sitting side of your house is, that direction is associated with an element and complementary colors.  Below is a list that defines a house based on its sitting side.  You only have to remember that the sitting is almost always the opposite of the facing side because almost all houses have parallel front and back walls.

House sits North (Water): Supportive or matching color= blue, white or gray

House sits Northeast (Earth): Supportive or matching color=yellow, beige, reddish tones

House sits East (Wood): Supportive or matching color=greens or blues

House sits Southeast (Wood): Supportive or matching color= greens or blues

House sits South (Fire): Supportive or matching color= reds or greens

House sits Southwest (Earth): Supportive or matching color= yellow, brown or red

House sits West (Metal): Supportive or matching color= white, gray, yellow, or brown

House sits Northwest (Metal): Supportive or matching color= white, gray, yellow, brown

The theory is that you can use an exterior color that matches the house type or a color that strengthens the element associated with it.  For instance, a house that sits north is a “water” type house and any shade of blue is water.  So that would be a stable color for the exterior.  But in the cycle of the elements, metal strengthens water, so metal colors like white and gray are also complementary for that house type.

When a house type has a supportive exterior color, it makes the house stronger, heartier, and therefore the occupants can feel healthier and more productive.

To use the same five-element-theory, if the exterior color of a house has a dominating or debilitating effect, then the occupants will feel drained or the house may demand much of their energy and resources, like the house we call the “Money Pit” because the occupants can’t save.

Below is a chart showing the same sitting directions, but the color or colors that would have a dominating effect on that house type, and therefore not recommended:

House sits North/ Harmful Exterior Colors=yellow or brown

House sits Northeast/ Harmful Exterior Colors=greens

House sits East/ Harmful Exterior Colors= white or gray

House sits Southeast/ Harmful Exterior Colors= white or gray

House sits South/ Harmful Exterior Colors=blue

House sits Southwest/ Harmful Exterior Colors= green

House sits West/ Harmful Exterior Colors=Red tones

House sits Northwest/ Harmful Exterior Colors=Red tones

 

Author: Kartar Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Feng Shui Theory Blog Series