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 at least one focal point in every room of your home.
Living room with large art over the fireplace - AI-assisted image | Human-editedLiving 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 (not in front of 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 with large art - AI-assisted image | Human-editedDining 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 Setting out dishes as if you are about to host dinner is an outdated fad - instead, use a centerpiece of flowers, a plant, or beautiful tablescape to decorate your dining table. Even a simple table runner is nice to accentuate 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. Consider adding an art light #ad to draw even more attention to your large art.
Bedroom with dramatic canopy bed - AI-assisted image | Human-editedBedroom
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.
A dramatic canopy bed is sure to draw attention.
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.
Dramatic foyer with sunburst mirror - AI-assisted image | Human-editedEntry
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.above the entry table. On the entry table is usually a lamp, flowers, and other accessories.
Freestanding bathtub with decorative screen and dramatic lighting - AI-assisted image | Human-editedBathroom
In a bathroom, the bathroom vanity or the bathtub is typically the focal point.
If you have a builder basic bathroom, consider replacing your sheet glass mirror with a beautiful framed mirror. You can also paint your basic white vanity in a more dramatic color and add some interesting cabinet knobs. Replacing a predictable light with something more interesting would be a great focal point.
Adding a decorative rug instead of a basic bath mat is a good way to add interest and create a focal point item in a bathroom.
Accessories, such as a decorative screen, cover a large area and demand focal point attention.
A pro designer tip is to add lighting to highlight your focal point to make it even more dramatic.
Dramatic modern kitchen - AI-assisted image | Human-editedKitchen
Many basic builder homes do not have a dramatic focal point in the kitchen. If there is a focal point, it could be a window over the sink or a range with a microhood over the top.
In order to create more drama in your kitchen, consider replacing the microhood with a dramatic range hood to be the focal point of your kitchen. You can put your microwave in a less conspicuous part of your kitchen or pantry.
If you prefer the view to be your kitchen focal point, make sure to enhance the view by keeping the windows extremely clean and perhaps adding window treatments that push all the way out of the way of the window instead of window treatments that cover part of the view, such as blinds.
A dramatic chandelier is always a great focal point item.
Uplighting on a dramatic focal point oak tree - AI-assisted image | Human-editedOutside
In the front of 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.
Highlight the features of your garden that you love the most with hardscaping and lighting.
Consider what will be your focal point when looking out each of your windows. If you don't have anything nice to look at out a certain window, consider adding a trellis with a flowering vine or frosting the window to disguise an ugly view while still letting light in.
