The focal point of a room grabs the attention of people entering the room, draws those people into the room, and sets the tone for the overall feeling of that room.
Rooms without a focal point often seem monotonous without having a spot for someone to initially focus their attention when entering the room.
There can be a few focal points in a room, however more than 3 focal points seems to make a room feel cluttered.
Here are some ideas for how to create a focal point in a room.
Living Room
In a living room, an obvious focal point would be a fireplace.
If you have a fireplace, make sure your furniture is facing the fireplace and not the television on an opposite wall. You do not want a beautiful fireplace to compete for attention from a not-so-attractive TV.
You may need to relocate the television to the same wall as the fireplace so the focal point can be shared by the fireplace and television.
If you do not have a fireplace, you can use a large bold piece of artwork, a piano, or a beautiful light fixture as your focal point.
You can even have a sofa with colorful pillows acting as your living room focal point.
If you have a beautiful view out your window, the outside view might also be the focal point, but make sure you illuminate the outside view at night so your focal point does not disappear.
Dining Room or Breakfast Room
In a dining room or breakfast room, the dining table can be the focal point.
Make sure to accessorize the table when not in use to immediately draw the eye of someone entering the room. Setting out dishes as if you are about to host dinner is an outdated fad. Instead, use a centerpiece of flowers or beautiful tablescape to decorate your dining table.
Instead of the focal point being the table, a beautiful chandelier or pendant light can be the focal point of the room.
Another option for a dining room focal point is an oversized piece of art.
Bedroom
In a bedroom, the most common focal point is the bed.
You can use beautiful bed linens or gorgeous throw pillows on the bed to capture attention and focus.
If you prefer simple linens, you can use a beautiful headboard or large artwork over the bed as the focal point of your bedroom.
If you decorate with artwork as your bedroom focal point, you can use one large piece of art, or a collection of 2 or 3 large complementary pieces that act as one collection. A common for wall art in a bedroom is over the bed or one piece of art over each nightstand.
Entry
The most common focal point in a home's entry is an entry table vignette. The entry table usually has a large piece of art or a beautiful mirror hung on the wall above the entry table. On the entry table is usually a lamp, flowers, and other accessories.
If your entry is large enough, you can add a circular table in the middle of the room with flowers or other accessories on top to be a focal point.
If your entry does not have room for an entry table on a wall or in the middle of the room, a beautiful chandelier or pendant light is a good focal point option.
Outside
Outside your home, your front door should be a focal point so visitors know where enter your home.
In your back yard, your focal point could be a large tree with uplighting or a swimming pool with a waterfall.
Other focal points may include colorful flower beds, garden art, a gazebo, or a water feature.
