Every successful room needs a focal point to help center and ground the space. Building a room around a focal point or feature lends an air of balance, variety, interest...it brings to a room that extra something special.
Some rooms have architectural features that are clear focal points like fireplaces.
If a room does not have a ready-made focal point, often it will have a "feature" wall. This is usually the wall that your eye naturally falls to when you enter the space. Bedrooms often have a long(er) blank wall that seems a perfect spot for the bed. This is more often than not the feature wall. Your focal point can be a luxurious padded wall that acts as a headboard, below...
...or a full wall of drapery to soften the room...
...or take the idea of fabric on the wall and allow it to become a canopy.
A grand piece of statement art above the bed can create a wonderful focal point, bringing in extra layers of color and texture.
Or turn the piece of art into a wall mural for extra impact.
Many times a space does not have a focal point in the room...but outside of it. Windows can be natural focal points as well, drawing the eye out to a view beyond. Arrange furniture and furnishings in the room to take advantage of this!
And finally, homes and especially apartments often lack any kind of focal point, whether it is an architectural feature or a window. In these cases, use art to create a focal point as we discussed in bedrooms above. Jay Jeffers used an exquisite Asian image to draw attention to a wall...
...while interior designer Joshua Greene used a gorgeous, modern, abstract painting to anchor an arrangement in his living room.
Happy designing!
