Feng Shui Uses of Red for Dynamic Energy

Published November 20, 2020
snowy view of house with red door

Feng shui red is a powerful color you can use in your home and office décor. It is easy to introduce the fire color to any sector you may wish.

What Color Is Feng Shui Red?

Feng shui red is usually a Chinese red color value. There are other colors often called red and you can certainly use these various red colors, such as garnet, wine, blood red, cherry, merlot, berry, ruby crimson, and so on.

What Does the Color Red Mean in Feng Shui?

In feng shui, red is an auspicious color. It is the color that represents yang energy and is associated with the sun and the element of fire. You want to keep the fire element and its representative color in balance. Adding a bit of red to your décor can infuse the exciting yang energy that the fire element attracts. As with anything in feng shui, you want to maintain a balance. Too much yang energy can heighten personal energies, and negative emotions may erupt.

Using Red in Feng Shui Sectors

There are some feng shui sectors where introducing the color red can be advantageous. In other sectors, the red representing the fire element will either exhaust or destroy the sector's ruling element.

South Sector and Color Red

In feng shui, the south sector governs fame and recognition. The element assigned to the south sector is fire. Red is the color assigned to the south sector since it considered the main color of fire.

Introduce Red in the South Sector

You can introduce the color red in the south sector of your home or office. This may be a room or it may be a south corner or south wall. Whenever you feel your fame and recognition energy needs a boost, you can add a touch of red in the south sector.

How to Use Red in Your South Sector

You can add the color red to the south wall of your living room or office. This can be something as simple as a red candle to incorporate the fire element, or it can be a series of red wooden picture frames. The wood element will bolster the fire element since in the productive cycle, wood feeds the fire element.

  • You can add a red lamp and leave it turned on for a minimum of six hours.
  • A red fan splayed open in a display will symbolically fan the flames of the fire element.
  • Red pillows on a sofa or chair also provide the right touch of red to the south sector.
  • You can add a red art object or painting with prominent red colors.

Using Red in Northeast and Southwest Sectors

You can use the color red in the earth element sectors of northeast (education) and southwest (love and relationship) sectors. The fire element produces the earth in the productive cycle, so adding a bit of red to these two luck sectors can boost your education luck and love/relationship luck. Red and brown or red and ochre (yellow) color combinations will add much to your overall feng shui décor.

Feng Shui Sectors Not Best for Red Colors

There are a few feng shui sectors where introducing the color red could have a negative impact. If you use red in one of these sectors, then you may experience a negative effect on the area of your life that sector governs.

Avoid Red in East and Southeast Sectors

For example, the east (health) and southeast (wealth) sectors are ruled by the wood element. Placing red in these sectors is like setting those beneficial energies on fire. You could essentially exhaust your wealth luck and health luck, since in the exhaustive cycle, fire exhausts the wood element.

Avoid Red in West and Northwest Sectors

The same thing can be said of the west (descendent luck) and northwest (mentor luck) sectors that are both ruled by the metal element. In the destructive cycle, fire destroys the metal element. The fire element in these sections would destroy your descendants luck and your mentor luck.

How to Use Feng Shui Red in Various Rooms

You can also use feng shui red in various rooms in your home. You will need to locate the appropriate corner or wall to place your red decorative objects, wall art, or other items.

Red in living room

Feng Shui Red in Your Home and Office Décor

You can use feng shui red in a room or office located in the south sector of your home. You may also use red in the south corner or wall in your living room or office.

Is Red Color Good for Bedroom in Feng Shui?

In feng shui, red is a highly auspicious color for marriage. Many of the feng shui decorations are red, especially in the bridal chamber where red lanterns are displayed around the bed. You can always use a splash of red in your bedroom to provide a little stimulating yang energy.

Avoid Red Color Overload

You don't want too much red since it can create too much of a yang feeling. This can become unsettling and cause restless sleep. The overall feeling of a bedroom should be yin energy to encourage rest and relaxation. To add red to your bedroom décor you can use:

  • A pair of red decorative bed pillows.
  • Mystic knot in a wall hanging or embroidered on pillows.
  • Double happiness symbol in a frame or as a wall hanging.
  • Red figurines, such as a pair of mandarin ducks.
  • Red and gold comforter or bedspread.

Feng Shui Red in Kitchens

You can use red in a feng shui kitchen since kitchens are associated with the fire element. A good choice might be a mix of green and red, since green represents the wood element. Again, the key to color use in feng shui is to keep a good color balance in your kitchen décor.

Feng Shui Red in Dining Room

A dining room décor should be conducive to relaxation and enjoyment of a meal. You can add a few red accent pieces, but don't flood this room with a lot of red objects or textile treatments, such as upholstery, wallpaper, or draperies.

Domestic Kitchen and Dining Room

Too Much Red in a Dining Room

You don't want your family or dinner guests feeling as though they must hurry through their meal. One reason that restaurants use red is to keep dinner guests moving in and out. Red doesn't encourage guests to linger over their meals, which isn't good for a business, but may be desirable for your home dining experience.

Limit Red Color in Children's Bedrooms and Play Areas

Children don't require a great deal of stimulation, since they are full of energy. You can add a few touches of red to your child's bedroom or playroom, but too much red can easily over stimulate.

Feng Shui Red Door

A feng shui red door is typically used in a south facing home. You can use a red door for other directions, such as the northeast and southwest. As mentioned, fire creates the earth element, so a red door for either earth ruled sectors will attract beneficial chi energy.

Learning How to Use Feng Shui Red in Décors

The feng shui red represents the fire element for a great décor addition to appropriate sectors. When you learn the best way to use red in your home or office décor, you can capitalize on the auspicious chi energy generated by the fire element.

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Feng Shui Uses of Red for Dynamic Energy