Finding the focal point of a room is easier than you might imagine. What interior designers do to establish a focal point is decide which feature of a room is the one which draws the eye to it. Often home-owners are disappointed when they actually realize that the natural focal point of a room may be one which is not desirable. This can make or break the whole layout of the room, and it vital to successful decorating practice that you maximise the room presentation by recognition of those areas which act as focal points. Once you understand how to use focal points and to distinguish where they are, this also helps you to attract the eye of visitors to those areas you want to emphasize, making the presentation of your home effective and stylish.
*Finding the focal point.
*Deciding on what needs to be the focal point
*Using natural elements of a room as a focal point.
*How window dressings affect visual effectiveness.
*Creating a focal point where none exists.
*Using that focal point to best effect.
Finding the focal point.
It does not matter which room of the home you wish to decorate. Each will have a focal point, although the clarity may send mixed messages to visitors. The way to find the focal point in a room is to enter the room and to see what immediately hits the eye. It can be startling to find that the family room focus is the television, the kitchen's focal point is the pile of dirty dishes, and the bedroom focal point is hideous curtains which overdress a window. Even in rooms as small as bathrooms, something will attract the eye, and here it may not be the item you wish to show your visitors.
Being honest is the first step to finding the focal point. If you live within a space for a long time, you become accustomed to seeing the same clutter. You take for granted your surroundings, though purposely enter a room and examine what your eye in drawn to, and this is indeed the focal point of the room in question.
Deciding what needs to be the focal point.
Having established what visitors see when they enter your room, you are prepared to start the design process. This assessment has to be honest to work. This is why designers are so successful with the work they do because they are looking from a more neutral stance. If you find that the existing focal point is not how you wish to present the room, an alternative will have to be created to draw the eye of the beholder away from those areas you consider to be less desirable.
Using the natural elements of a room to create a focal point.
In a bathroom, for example, you can reflect much light and focus by the introduction of a mirror or plants, placed in strategic positions. Try different things and never be afraid to experiment. A great window display in a bathroom draws the eye towards the window and away from other areas, just as a strategically placed mirror does.
In the family room, if the emphasis is on the TV, and you wish to make the room more friendly and interesting, look at the natural shapes of alcoves, or whether there is a fireplace which can serve as a focal point. Again a mantle mirror throws great light into a room and takes away emphasis from the TV area. A TV can also be housed in a piece of attractive furniture which compliments the room and which hides more discreetly away from overpowering the room. Alcoves can be decorated in a contrasting paint and be given an instant uplift with great lighting to draw the eye away from other areas within the room.
In a kitchen, feature those areas you are proud of, just by making them pleasing to the eye. Often what we create within our homes is mixed messages, simply by allowing clutter to build up. Get rid of excess items, and make sure that you have sufficient cupboard space for the items you need, and you can present the kitchen in a much nicer way. The work-tops themselves can become the focal point, with the hob taking the spotlight, and in this day and age, there are some great stainless steel units which will indeed look great and distract the eye away from those dishes you left in the sink.
In a bedroom, perhaps the emphasis is on the bed. After all, this is usually the largest item housed within a bedroom, though the appearance of the bed makes a world of difference. Dark colors against contrasting walls can look great and give a down-sized appearance to the room, though if you also add a wall hanging or artwork which blends in with the bed clothes color, you draw the eye up away from the bed to the picture itself.
Similarly in a larger room, bedclothes in light colors against a darker contrasting wall do the same thing, and this can be given a wonderful finish with contrasting pillows or cushions which make the bed look warm and inviting.
If you wish to take the emphasis off the bed, why not look at other things like window dressing or fireplaces within the room. Often these areas are neglected as possible focal points though a fireplace with great dressing really is eye catching. Here, dried flowers in front of the hearth look really nice, and the mantle piece can be highlighted with colored candles to give an intimate look.
How window dressings affect visual effectiveness.
No matter what the room, look at how you present areas of natural light. These often become focal points accidentally by over-dressing the window with curtains or fabrics which actually detract from doing what they were intended to do, and create an overpowering look. Changing dark drapes for lighter ones opens up the light within a room so that the true focal point of the room can be appreciated. Similarly small windows can be given minimal dressing and immediately lift the whole look of a room, making the focal point less confusing. Blinds in neutral shades are perfect for getting rid of unwanted focal points and letting more light into small spaces.
Creating a focal point where none exists.
If a room is so jumbled that it loses a focal point, this can be rectified easily. Get rid of clutter and contrasts of color which confuse the eye. Often people mix so many patterns and colors within one room that the eye is confused and sees no natural focal point. Here, what becomes the focal point is confusion itself.
Get rid of clutter, and little by little the true focal point of a room becomes apparent. This may be something as bland as an empty wall, though this is the moment when opportunity knocks at your door. Artwork hung in that space becomes a focal point, and can cleverly intermingle with colors and accents which make the room look stylish.
Never be afraid to experiment. Fireplaces, furniture, ornaments well placed all add to what is considered as the focal point in your rooms. Even a small room can have a wonderful new look by introducing mirrors. Instead of the room being small in appearance what people notice is a room which is double the size, as their eyes are drawn towards the mirrors.
Using that focal point to best effect.
The best interior designers will instantly recognize those areas which should be highlighted within your home. Whereas you may have these natural focal points hidden by years of living within that space, it is never too late to begin again and to show off those neglected areas to best advantage. When you enter those newly decorated rooms and suddenly see those areas which have been obscured by your lifestyle, it's like beginning again. Your visitors will notice the good points within your home simply because you noticed them and did something to show them to their best advantage.