Finding a Focal Point for Your Room
A focal point of a room is anything that first catches your eye when you enter. When choosing a focal point for any area, these things are good bets – architectural details, unique furniture, and interesting home accessories.
When you enter a room, there’s always one thing that catches
your eye first. It can be an ornate chandelier, a table centerpiece, or pretty
much anything of interest. This is called the room’s focal point. In interior
design, a room must have a focal point so that all the other elements can be
built around it. Otherwise, the room will just be a bundle of chairs, tables
and decors, without any real order.
So how do you find your room’s focal point? It’s not that
hard—walk into your room and pick the first thing you lay your eyes on. Sometimes
you’ll look at something by instinct, so make sure you do it with a fresh eye. If
you can’t settle your eyes on anything, you probably don’t have a focal point. This
is the perfect time to find one and rearrange your room. Here are some things
that can make a good focal point for your room.
Architectural details
Does your room have nice cornicing or an oddly shaped corner?
Is there a recessed or elevated area, or a post you can decorate? Simple
architectural features can be made into interesting focal points. For example, a
rounded corner can be used to hold a panoramic poster for a more dramatic view.
A post can be decorated with metalwork or painted in an intricate pattern. If
you have a large window, you can leave it bare to emphasize the view or give it
a stylish drape or blind.
Furniture
If there are no unique details in your room, your furniture
can serve as your focal point. Take your biggest piece of furniture and place
it in a visible corner, then surround it with the rest. They should be arranged
so that the smaller pieces emphasize the presence of your focal point, and at
the same time lead the eyes away to other points of interest. An interesting
piece of furniture will draw attention to itself, but if yours is plain, dress
it up with colorful pillows or a stylish drape.
Home accessories
Decorative items can also be used as focal points. Wall
paintings, lamps, indoor plants, and floor vases can all draw attention if
properly placed and designed. If you have a large wall painting, hang it at the
center of the wall for maximum emphasis. Place an indoor plant on a corner and give
it a nice platform, or hang several smaller plants from the ceiling if you’re
short of space. The key is to draw attention to certain items, then build the
rest of your décor around it.