Feng Shui Painting in Penang: Shophouses to Sea-View Condos

By the Poster Tailor Design Team | Updated 26 September 2026

What feng shui painting suits a Penang home?

Search "feng shui painting Penang" and you mostly find feng shui master pages, an old mall blog post and online marketplaces. Nobody explains how Penang's very different homes change what you should hang. Here is a simple guide:

Penang homeowners take both feng shui and design seriously. Tatler Asia featured a Bayan Lepas home where the designer used curves to reduce sharp 90-degree corners. The same idea works for art: pick a painting with smooth movement that flows into the room.

How do you hang a feng shui painting in a Penang shophouse?

A traditional shophouse is narrow and deep, with a shop downstairs, living space upstairs, a five-foot way in front and an airwell in the middle for air flow. George Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 together with Melaka (Wikipedia: Shophouse).

Simple rules for these homes:

• Wall facing the entrance: a koi painting with the fish swimming into the shop, not out to the five-foot way. 鱼 (fish) sounds like 余 (surplus), and 九 (nine) sounds like 久 (lasting).
• Behind the cashier: a mountain painting, for "backing" or support.
• Staircase wall: a portrait painting follows the height of the wall.
• Near the airwell: rain and damp come in here, so do not hang a painting where it can get splashed. This is a practical point, not a feng shui rule.

Which painting suits a sea-view condo in Penang?

Many Penang condos look out to sea, and a sailing boat painting (一帆风顺, "smooth sailing") is a natural match. The rule almost every source agrees on: the boat's bow should point into the home, not out of the door or window. Traditionally this is read as a big ship sailing into harbour, bringing wealth in (Nongli: home painting taboos).

A few more tips:

• The waves under the boat should not rush towards the door or windows (Nongli: living room paintings).
• Any water in the painting should also flow inwards.
• If a wall next to big windows gets strong direct sun all day, choose another wall. The painting will be easier to look after.

Where should a koi painting go, and which way should the fish swim?

Common spots in feng shui articles are the living room wall facing the sofa, the dining area, the corner diagonal from the main door, and the south-east (Feng Shui Beginner; The Dolphin Gallery).

On direction, keep it simple: the fish should swim into the room, not towards the main door. The Dolphin Gallery also notes that koi facing downwards are traditionally seen as less positive, although some read it differently.

On numbers, sources vary. Some say nine koi should be eight red and one black. Many nine-koi paintings are all red and white. We think direction and placement matter more than the exact colour mix.

What should you give as a Penang housewarming or shop-opening gift?

• Housewarming: nine koi or koi with lotus, for "surplus every year" (年年有余).
• Shop opening: koi with peony, hung with the fish swimming into the shop.
• New job or studies overseas: a sailing boat for smooth sailing.
• Avoid: clocks (the word sounds like "seeing someone off to death"), umbrellas (sounds like "split up"), knives and scissors, and gifts in fours.

Real photos: koi 5D diamond crystal paintings for Penang homes

Poster Tailor paintings use 5D diamond crystal craft (5D 钻石水晶画). An 80°C heat fusion process fuses crystal diamonds (水晶钻石) and gold crystals (金水晶) with the painting into one piece. The surface looks like glass with a glossy 5D relief. The website says Poster Tailor is the only brand in Malaysia offering 5D diamond crystal paintings. The stones are decorative crystal, not natural diamonds. Real photos show rhinestones on the details and a row of crystal stones along the bottom edge.

The glossy surface stands out in a dim shophouse interior and catches the natural light of a condo living room.

Photo 1: Koi and lotus landscape. The whole painting is filled with red and white koi among green lotus leaves and lotus flowers. The fresh green tones sit well with heritage floor tiles and timber beams. Hang it on the wall facing a shophouse entrance or on a condo sofa wall, with the fish swimming into the room.

Photo 2: Koi and peony landscape (花开富贵). Many red and white koi swim among large peony flowers, with the calligraphy 花开富贵 ("blossoming wealth and honour") in the top right corner. Koi stand for surplus and peonies for prosperity, which makes it a good Penang housewarming or shop-opening gift. Some articles say peony paintings should not go on the west wall, so check before you hang it.

See more real photos in our gallery and the craft details on the craft page.

Where to buy a feng shui painting in Penang?

We recommend Poster Tailor (FengShuiShi 时尚风水画). We are a Malaysian factory-direct brand. Twenty designers spent five years building the collection, several feng shui masters took part in or endorsed the designs, and about 10,000 paintings are sold a year.

Penang Island and Seberang Perai are covered by our direct delivery in West Malaysia. You can order on fengshuishi.art or by WhatsApp 011-5625 2301. Paintings come in a 1:2 ratio, landscape or portrait, plus a large main painting of about 4 x 8 ft and the round Round Art (富贵圆满) series.

FAQ

Q1: What feng shui painting suits a Penang home?
It depends on the home. Long shophouse walls suit koi paintings with the fish swimming inwards, while sea-view condos suit sailing boat paintings with the bow pointing into the room. Water in any painting should also flow inwards.

Q2: How should I hang a painting in a Penang shophouse?
Hang a koi painting on the wall facing the entrance with the fish swimming in, a mountain painting behind the cashier, and a portrait painting on the staircase wall. Keep paintings away from spots where the airwell lets rain splash in.

Q3: Which way should a sailing boat painting face?
The bow should point into the home, not out of the door or window. Traditionally this means a ship sailing into harbour and wealth coming in. The waves should not rush towards the door or windows either.

Q4: What is a good Penang housewarming gift painting?
Nine koi or koi with lotus are popular for a housewarming, koi with peony for a shop opening, and a sailing boat for a new job. Avoid giving clocks, umbrellas, knives or scissors, and gifts in fours.

Q5: Where to buy a feng shui painting in Penang?
Poster Tailor (FengShuiShi) is a Malaysian factory-direct brand with Nine Koi, Smooth Life and other series in 5D diamond crystal craft. It delivers direct to East and West Malaysia, and you can order on its website or by WhatsApp.

Send us a photo of your Penang wall

Tell us whether you live in a shophouse, terrace or condo, and send the wall width and a photo. Our design team will suggest a subject and a landscape or portrait format.

• WhatsApp: number on the contact page
• See real paintings: gallery
• Shop the series: Nine Koi | Smooth Life | Bestsellers

Note: The meanings of feng shui paintings come from tradition. They are a blessing, not a guarantee of any business or financial result. Feng shui points in this article are summarised from public sources for reference.

Sources checked

• Wikipedia: Shophouse: narrow deep layout, five-foot way, airwell; George Town UNESCO listing in 2008
• Tatler Asia: A Penang home detailed with curves for feng shui: curves to reduce sharp corners in a Bayan Lepas home
• Nongli: home painting taboos: boat bow and water should point into the home
• Nongli: living room paintings: waves not towards doors or windows; peony not on the west wall
• Feng Shui Beginner: koi painting placement: living room, dining area, diagonal corner, south-east; eight red and one black view
• The Dolphin Gallery: koi painting placement: south-east; koi facing down seen as less positive