| |
 |
|
 |
|
As with great works of art, having a focal point is essential to good design. All compositions—including interior spaces—need a center of interest for the composition to make visual sense. Creating a focal point is probably the most important design step you can take. It will help give your rooms meaning, order and a feeling of balance.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Many focal points occur naturally in home architecture. Common ones include fireplaces, bookshelves, built-in cabinetry and picture windows—especially if they showcase a gorgeous view. These features draw the eye to them, giving a feeling of structure and balance to a room.
Consider yourself fortunate if you have even one of these architectural focal points. These naturally interesting features make interior design tasks—such as furniture placement and art positioning—much easier, for the point of focus has already been established for you.
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Fireplaces are excellent focal points. As well as being a source of warmth and comfort, they're visually captivating and appealing. (If you don't have a fireplace, you may be able to add an attractive wood-burning stove without too much trouble, for a similar effect.)
Tip: Make your fireplace area the "star" of your room by dressing up the mantle, hanging artwork or an interesting mirror above it, adding decorative tiling and fireplace accessories, or simply painting the area with a bold splash of color.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Moldings can do a lot to bring attention to a focal area by helping to create a look that's complete and well defined.
Tip: Use decorative moldings to dress up a picture window or to encase a set of built-in bookshelves. Finish the project with a coat of semi-gloss paint to add a subtle, elegant sheen.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Fabrics that are colorful, or have interesting patterns or textures, are a great way to create visual interest.
Tip: Add drama to a picture window by framing it with draperies made from vibrant, luxurious fabrics. Keep in mind that the bolder the color or pattern of the fabric, the more attention it will attract.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
If there are too many areas competing for focus, a room can appear disjointed and feel somewhat off-balance. If there's more than one focal point in a room, the eye needs to be directed where to look first.
For example, with two or more objects of interest in a room, give priority to only one of them, and let the others play a supporting role. Also, don't highlight secondary features with colors or patterns that are more vibrant or interesting than those used on the primary focal point.
If you are lucky enough to have more than one interesting feature—for instance, a gorgeous fireplace and a spectacular view—the view should most definitely take precedence.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
If you don't happen to have any striking architectural features in your room, don't despair! There are many things you can still do to create a dramatic point of interest.
 There
is really no true "right" or "wrong"
object or item to use for a focal point. It just needs
to be something that will draw your attention—something
that's interesting to look at and visually appealing,
either because of its color, texture, shape or structural
form.
If you're working with existing furniture, look around your room. What is the first thing that catches your eye? Most likely, it will be the largest piece of furniture—a bed in a bedroom, a tall armoire, or perhaps a sofa in the living area.
Large pieces of furniture can actually make excellent focal points.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
To make larger furnishings into a room focal point, try using a creative dash of color, and position the other pieces of furniture around them.
|
|
|
|
|
Fabrics with color or bold patterns are a great way to draw attention.
Tip: Upholster a large sofa with colorful fabric—or pile it high with vibrant accent pillows.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Color will bring attention to an object that otherwise might blend in with its environment.
Tip: Paint a tall dresser or armoire with a color that contrasts with the walls (see The Creative Power of the Color Wheel feature) and watch it leap into focus.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Artwork makes a wonderful focal point—either a large piece by itself or a grouping of smaller pieces hung together. You can also display a wall-mounted tapestry, antique quilt, or a finely crafted Oriental rug to create a fabulous focal feature. To unify the look, use colors appearing within the fabrics or artwork (see Color Ideas from the World of Art feature) to inspire the color scheme for your entire room.
Tip: Use lighting, such as a picture light or track lighting, to highlight a beautiful painting or wall display.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Contrasting Paint on a central wall, a well-located alcove, or an interesting architectural feature (such as a column or stairwell) can be an excellent way to create a visual point of interest.
Tip: Use a color that is either much darker or lighter than the rest of the colors in the room. To showcase this feature even more, give the area a look of texture and depth by using BEHR Premium Plus With Style™ Venetian Plaster (see Having Fun With Faux feature), or a decorative Faux Glazing technique (see Faux Fantastic feature)
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
Try the ColorSmart™ by BEHR interactive program to experiment with thousands of different color combinations and see how they look in actual room settings.
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
