Feng Shui Wood Element Decoration Tips
Wood is one of the elements that make up the five-element system used in feng shui. The other elements are water, fire, earth, and metal. This same system is also used in many other traditions, such as traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.
Feng shui practitioners work with the five elements to evaluate what is going on energetically with a client and their space. Need more wood feng shui energy in your home? Here are some easy home decor tips that will bring this element’s vibrant energy to your space.
What is the Wood Element?
The wood element is vitality, growth, and kindness. Wood energy is also related to flexibility and human-heartedness.
The five-element system is one of the many feng shui tools used to adjust the energy of space if anything is off balance. For instance, if you want more of these vibrant wood qualities in your life, you may want to add more wood element to your space.
You can add more wood energy to space through the following design elements:
- Colour: Green, blue, and teal
- Shape: Columnar
- Materials: Living green plants
Here are our favourite examples of how you can bring the element of wood into your home’s feng shui!
01. Walls
Changing up the colour of your walls is an easy and effective way to shift your home’s energy. Like green, blue, and teal, Wood element colours are all great choices for paint colours. Besides adding the wood element to your space, greens and blues are calming, healing colours that can make you feel at ease. They both evoke the colours of nature and the serenity that we experience in natural spaces; think of how peaceful you feel when looking at a clear blue sky or the green canopy of a forest.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try wallpaper with long vertical shapes or botanical imagery in green or blue. If wallpapering a whole room feels like too much, you can always start with an accent wall or the inside of a closet or cabinet.
02. House Plants
You may have noticed that house plants are having a moment. This is great news from a feng shui perspective. Not only plant a skilful way to introduce the wood element. But, it also improves indoor air quality and adds fresh, life-affirming qi to space. Taking care of another living thing can also help you cultivate kindness and compassion, both of which are associated with the wood element.
There are so many plants to choose from that it can sometimes get a bit overwhelming! Generally, if you’re using a plant as a feng shui adjustment, you want to find one with soft, rounded leaves rather than something prickly or sharp like a cactus. Ensure you choose a plant whose care requirements line up with the environment in your home, and then make sure you are giving it regular attention and care.
03. Home Decor Accessories
Accessories can be a great way to experiment with the five elements in your home. There’s a lot of flexibility here (a wood element quality!) – so go with your intuition and preferences when deciding what to add. Here are a few ideas:
Wood is related to tall, columnar shapes (think of the trunk of a tree). Long window curtains, especially blue or green, can be an attractive and impactful way to add the wood element to your space.
Furniture in wood element colours can also be a stunning design element. What about an emerald green couch or a blue armchair? If you want to start a little smaller, linens and pillows are also an easy and accessible way to play with the wood element. Look for table runners or throw pillows in green, blue or teal. You can also hang artwork you love that incorporates these colours or artwork, including pictures of green plants.
04. Architectural and outdoor elements
Since the wood element is connected to tall, vertical shapes, your home columns can represent the wood element. Trees on your property and other outdoor plants are also connected to the wood element.
To boost the wood energy in your home, make sure your landscaping is well cared for. Make sure to water, fertilize, and prune them if necessary.