A few weeks ago, we were discussing the possibility of painting our front door a bright, fire-engine red. Actually, we weren't so much "discussing" it--we were being advised to do it by a friend of ours who had just finished reading about 20 books on feng shui. "Red doors will invite success, prosperity, and good energy into a home!," he lectured, "But you have to be careful about the star alignment because..."

We zoned out when he said "star alignment," so we're a bit fuzzy on all the conditions and rules that would make red doors a bad idea. But we do know that our current exterior color wouldn't lend itself well to Pantone 1665 C. (According to the leftover tub of paint in the garage, that color is called "buttercream").

So, after politely deflecting the red door suggestion, we asked our feng shui'd friend to shed some light on what other colors can bring to our front doors. Bear in mind, what we're about to share should be taken lightly--he is more of a fascinated hobbyist than a feng shui master:

- If you happen to have a yellow or brown-toned door, you are apparently very content with your home life and do not require a lot of chi to be bouncing all over your home. You're also very in tune with the earth.

- If you happen to have a purple door, you are either 1) rich or 2) looking to be rich. This could explain this particular incident that happened last year (although that incident may not have included the actual door).

- If your front door is black (or dark blue), you are inviting opportunities. You could be looking for new friends, or anticipating a job promotion.

- If your front door is a light green, you are celebrating new beginnings and growth. Darker shades of green imply maturation, stability, and wisdom.

- And finally, if your front door is white, you are of a creative mind, and you have an affinity for metal. Also, you will be cleaning your front door more than the rest of us.