What's your favorite color? Colors are important in feng shui but unfortunately your favorites don't come into play. According to feng shui philosophy, colors have a direct effect over the level of tranquility in your home.

Feng shui is made up of five elements: metal, fire, wood, wind and earth. They each have an associated color or collection of colors that represents the energy of the element.

Earth - Light colors like beige or pale yellow are associated with the earth element. Earth stands for stability. When you're grounded in a solid relationship, it's the earth element at work. The light colors in this group lighten up your spaces making you feel as though anything is doable.

Fire - Associated colors in the element of fire are orange, bright yellow, pink, purple and red. Passion or heat is what comes to mind when thinking of fire. Either is an apt description of fire and as you might imagine fire gets your heart going which in turn creates energy.

Wood - Why do you think money is most often green? Trees are obviously made of wood and most often contain lush leaves of green. They are givers of life and Feng shui philosophy states that the wood element stands for prosperity and keeping with that theme of "givers of life", green and brown are the colors that fit.

Metal - If you've ever looked at metal you see how it has definite lines and shapes. In feng shui, metal brings clarity to your life. The colors gray and white represent these qualities.

Water - Water regenerates the body and the spirit. It cleanses you and also stands for abundance and plenty. Black and blue represent water and their use pushes the feeling of purity and refreshment in your home.

Don't be afraid to add color in your home or office. How and where you use each color is governed by the feng shui energy map of your living area. You may have never thought that red could be an energizing force in your home but according to feng shui principles, it can. Color isn't just for the walls but also the artwork, furniture and accents. It inspires your dreams, opens your hearts and brings new life into your home.