How to Create a Focal Point
April 24th, 2010 categories: Home Improvements and Design
The focal point defines a room’s ambiance and underscores the room’s purpose. It makes you want to enter, and enjoy the room to sit and relax, study, watch videos, sleep, make conversation, play or whatever the room is designed to do.
What makes a good focal point?
According to Better Homes and Garden a good focal point attracts attention. Focal points are either created for you by the room’s architecture, or you have to create one yourself, but the idea is to make the room enjoyable to use.
The room may have an organic feature that you can enhance, such as a bay window with a beautiful view. A picture window can be enhanced with window seats with colors like blue or green to bring the outdoors inside the room.
By establishing what your focal point is going to be, you have an easier time decorating the rest of your room, because the other furnishings will fit around it. For example, if you are creating a focal point with a fireplace and seating area, you can embellish the mantel with a small group of candles or collectibles. Your seating can be arranged to enjoy the fire in the winter, or you can replace the grate with fresh or dried flowers for the summer.
If you want a warm, relaxing ambiance, add bookshelves and a luxurious lap throw draped on the arm of a chair or couch. Use neutral paints and tones, small patterns or solids on furnishings, and decorate with prints of pastoral scenes or still life. Finish with a thick pile area rug, and you’ve completed a cozy den or study.
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