Identifying a Room's Focal Point

Have you ever walked into a room, and found yourself drawn to a particular painting? How about a plant? Maybe it was the furniture, or a window? Whatever it may be, every room has some kind of a focal point. Identifying a room's focal point, and learning how to use it properly, can help you create truly wonderful and memorable room that you can be proud up. Here are a few simple guidelines that you can use to help you identify the focal point of any room.

• What is the first thing you see? Often, when you go into a room, the focal point will be the very first thing that you notice. What this means is that you should exit a room, and then go back in. Take note of where your eyes are "drawn," and you will be able to identify that room's focal point. This is usually going to be a piece of furniture, architecture, plant life, color, or something else "major" in the room.
• Look at architecture. Many times a common focal point in a room will be an architectural element that you don't have a lot of control over. This is often things like a large window, a fireplace, a doorway, or even the layout of the room. Take time to look at the architecture of the room, and see if there is anyway that you can get it to work towards what you have in mind, rather than detracting from your goal.
• Look at furniture. Furniture can often become a focal point for a room, often without us even realizing it. Take stock of the furniture in your room, and decide if that is what you want the room to be associated with. If you want your front room to be one that evokes a feeling of relaxation and calm, then you may not want to have a huge entertainment center front and center. Rather, you may want to have some bookcases, comfortable sitting chairs or even a musical instrument (such as a piano) in there.
• Create your own focal point. Anything can be a focal point, and that means that you have a lot of leeway in what you can use. Take a little bit of time, and think about what you may like to have as the most important feature of any given room, and then plant the rest of the room around that one item. Doing this will allow you to rearrange, and decorate the room exactly the way that you want it.