A fresh coat of paint is one of the best ways to give a whole new look to a space.

It's relatively
inexpensive; depending on the size of the room, premium paint and supplies will cost between $50 and
$100. It's also easy. Unless the room you're painting has twenty-foot cathedral ceilings, painting a room
is a one-day project that anybody can do. And painting a room can cause a dramatic shift in the way its
occupants feel about the space. If the color is chosen according to principles of feng shui, that shift can
help a person sleep better, enliven family conversation around the dinner table, or turn an ordinary
bathroom into a peaceful oasis.

The Bedroom

The bedroom should be a relaxing place where you can unwind and rest. Many people also want their
bedrooms to be romantic havens, or places where the entire family can sleep. A common mistake people
make is to paint walls in their bedroom bright colors to cure problems with their house's bagua chart--
the grid that divides a home into areas correlated with children, relationships, helpful people, career,
knowledge, family, wealth, fame, and earth. If part of a bedroom is in the fame section of the home, for
instance, a fledgling actress may be tempted to paint the bedroom red to kick-start her career. She
probably won't sleep very well in a red bedroom, though, because red is a yang color, and sleeping is yin.
The actress would be better served by placing one red pillow or picture frame in the bedroom, and
painting the walls a more muted color.

Another approach to choosing a bedroom color is to choose a color that enhances the elements in your
natal chart. Some schools of feng shui assign elements-water, wood, fire, earth, and metal-to people.
Somebody with a lot of water in his or her chart may feel more comfortable in a pale blue bedroom, but
could easily become stagnant. The water person could enrich his or her life by adding colors that balance
out the elements, such as green for wood; red or pink for fire; orange, yellow, or brown for earth; and
white, sliver, or gold for metal.

Choosing a color for a child's bedroom is a bit more complicated. Parents want to choose a pale or pastel
yin color that enhances the child's elemental makeup, but parents should remember that a child's
bedroom is for playing as well as sleeping. Too pale a color will drive the child out of the room during
non-resting times, hurting the development of creative play. Perhaps a colorful rug or an alcove painted
in a brighter, yang shade of the wall color will help create a space where the child can both rest and play.

The Bathroom

Like the bedroom, the bathroom should be a restful place. For many of us busy people, time spent
soaking in the tub is the most peaceful time of the day. Painting the walls of the bathroom in a color that
makes that time more enjoyable is a worthwhile endeavor. As you choose a wall color for a bathroom,
think about the people who use the bathroom. What is their elemental makeup? Be sure to choose a
color that enhances their elements. Also, remember that bathing is a yin activity, and choose your color
accordingly. Finally, minimize the negative energy of the toilet area by incorporating an earth color, like
yellow or brown.
Living Areas

The first rule when choosing a wall color for the living areas of a house, including the living room, family
room, and dining room, is that the entire family should feel comfortable with the color. Colors give off
vibrations, and different people react differently to those vibrations. If you, an earth person, decide
without consulting the family to paint the dining room beige with a bright yellow accent wall, you may
find that your daughter with a lot of metal in her chart suddenly clams up at dinner time. She's not being
purposefully obstinate; she can't cope with a room that feels so completely wrong to her.

Think carefully about what you use your spaces for. If you like to entertain in the dining room
and living room, but use the family room for quiet evenings reading by the fireplace, remember that
when you choose a color scheme. Parties in room with too many yin colors will fall flat and be
memorable only for being slow, and you'll have difficulty concentrating on your book if the colors in your
quiet family room are too yang, or bright. Remember to have balance in both places, however. A living
room painted bright yellow with bright red and purple furnishings may be the scene of a party that's too
rowdy and disconnected. Similarly, you may fall asleep at your book if you try to read in a room that's all
beige and pastel.

Whether in the bedroom, the bathroom, or the living areas of a house, a fresh coat of paint in a carefully
chosen color can make a huge difference in the way people feel. By choosing wall colors according to the
principles of feng shui, you'll find yourself and your family