Space without focal points can turn out to be quite drab and simple. If that is the case then how to create a focal point in a room and own your space? Well, Gharpedia, through this blog shares some pointers on creating spaces that can grab eyeballs!
But before going there, first let us know what does focus or focal point in interior design mean? Focal point in interior design means the element/s of a room that grabs your attention the very moment you step into that room. Like this fire place in the image below.
According to Chris V. Royster (2013) (Author of “Home Staging Like A Pro- The A to Z Guide on How to Stage Your Home to Sell for Top Dollar”) the focal point can bring an otherwise dull appearing room to life. Accentuate the focal point with your staged furniture and your room will be much more pleasing to anyone, touring your home.
After knowing what is the focal point of a room, now coming back to how to create a focal point in a room; the process of creating a focal point in living room or any other room involves a lot of visualization, preparation, shopping and plain hard work. The inspiration for a colour scheme or room style may have come from something that you had seen in a magazine, on a holiday or in someone else’s home, but the results are disappointing because, although the general look is the same, something is missing. The room has changed, but with all the hard work completed, an extra something is needed to pull the look together. This something is the room’s focus. By now, you know how important focus or focal point in interior design is. There are different ways to add focus in your room depending on your pocket-size and taste.
How To Create a Focal Point in a Room Creatively?
Most rooms will have some individuality, a feature such as the fireplace, a doorway, an attractive floor or perhaps a style of window that becomes the natural focal point. To create a focal point in a living room without a fireplace or other natural focal point is challenging.
If nothing is striking enough to become an area of focus, then the easiest way is to create a focal point wall using colours. Focal point wall ideas include simply painting a contrasting-coloured shape on one of the walls, or painting blocks of colour as broad borders for framed pictures.
A focal point in interior design is created by introducing a carefully chosen new element, which could be a painting, a sculptural piece of furniture, a rug, a special bunch of flowers or a wonderful houseplant.
This does not necessarily mean spending a lot of money. What is the a focal point of a room?
It is anything that stuns you in a room. Even a wall could be made a focus point of your room. A focal point wall could be made with a row of pebbles from your last beach holidays, arranged in a straight line; a strangely shaped piece of driftwood displayed on a bright background; or a pile of pine cones sprayed shocking pink. To create focal point wall ideas, sit with the wall hanging objects or frames and make a collage. These are some of the easiest ways to make a statement wall with a personal touch.
Learn more about hanging pictures on wall
A focal point in a living room without a fireplace could be a canvas floor cloth painted and stencilled for a fraction of the cost of buying a brand-new rug; or you could paint a rug directly onto the floor. A big, large painting can also be a focal point of the room. This focal point painting should be captivating. Make sure focal point painting is then not surrounded by other objects or frames. It is important to enjoy the decorating process. Remember, taking the creative route is always much more rewarding than shopping!
Create a Focal Point in Living Room by Adding Things in Proportion
According to Deana Murphy (2009) (Author of “Designing For the King From Chaos To Order By Designing Within”) a room’s focal point helps to calculate the relationship of one object to another. It creates a center of interest for the design composition to make visual sense. Living room focal point ideas can play out wrong if not proportionate. Proportion plays an important role while figuring out how to create a focal point, as there is a big difference between attracting attention and dominating a room. An exuberant palm in a ceramic pot looks great as long as it’s not humungous enough to infringe your space! In just the same way, something that is far too small in proportion to its surroundings doesn’t work either. A small handmade designer rug will still attract attention in the middle of a large open expanse of floor, but it will look mean.
Be Smart with your Ideas but Simple with Elements
Choosing wisely does not always mean spending a lot of money. One idea which works very well is repetition. Instead of buying one large vase to create a focal point in living room, buy four in the same style but different colours, and arrange them in a straight line. This will create a colour rhythm and focus. Living room focal point ideas do not necessarily have to include store bought items or pieces, the same could be done with something completely free, like green-tinged cola bottles, which are design classics. A line of them becomes a sculpture in the right setting.
Fresh flowers are the most reliable way of adding instant focus to a room. Depending on what you choose, flowers can be used to change the mood of the room – they can even be used to reflect your own mood, if you like! For instance, if you’re feeling romantic, choose roses; and if you’re feeling full of the joys of life and you don’t care who knows it, go for lilies. Many flowers come in a whole range of gorgeous colours, so you should have no problem working with your room’s colour scheme and changing the atmosphere throughout the year. An arrangement of striking seed heads from the garden can also make a really stunning display.
If a bunch of flowers seems too much of an indulgence, just buy one or two single stems and angle a spotlight their way. This little trick creates a tremendously cool, contemporary effect.
Important Cue to Living Room Focal Point Ideas
By now you are well-versed with what is focal point in a room and its importance as well. Try having one and adorn your room. A circular rug radiating coloured lines will attract the eye to its colour, shape and size. A bare floor is fine for dancing, but rugs make a room much more homely.
To sum up, a focal point of a room beholds the eyes of the viewer and is the key element of the room. How to create a focal point in a room depends completely on you. It should not be driven by expensive and exotic pieces. It could be as simple as wall or a rug or a plant.
Do write in to Gharpedia and share your subjective ideas on how you add focus to a space…
Before you leave, checkout our articles:
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Elevate Your Living Room Design With These 4 Hacks!
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.