Finding the focal point I’m a space is one of the features of good interior design. Where is the eye naturally drawn and what does the room do to enhance that natural inclination? Here are some ideas for how to find or create a focal point in your most important living spaces.

Architectural Features

First of all, look at your extant architectural features. There may be a pre-existing focal point to work around or enhance. A fireplace can be enhanced with a decorative fire screen and further embellished with mantlepiece ornaments. Windows can be framed by curtains and other styles of window treatments. Antique features or exposed beams can be lit to draw the eye. Look at what you’re working with before you decide what the focal point should be. The room may have something to say about where the eye is naturally drawn.

Artistic Features

Now you can think about art and expression. Do you have artistic friends or family who’ve given you unique pieces that you want to feature in your design? Maybe you have a favorite or meaningful piece of art that you want to use as a focal point in your room. You can coordinate whole rooms around a single art feature, whether it’s through strategic placement, clever lighting or even the colors you use in your furnishings and decor. The focal point should bring the room together, uniting all the various design elements.

Activities

The focal point of your room might be the main activity you do there. Odds are the focal point of your dining room will be the table and the focal point of your living room will, realistically speaking, be the television. Work with that, not against it. Make the function of the space part of its form, and highlight the usefulness by incorporating that into your design.

Living Spaces

It is important to remember is that these spaces are not just for show. These are spaces you love and live in. There will be clutter, especially if you haven’t included adequate storage spaces. There will be people, so think about where the chairs are placed and how they are angled.

Once you’ve found the focal point, your life becomes substantially easier. Mess and clutter that draws attention away from your focal point is a distraction from your design. Either stash it away or get rid of it entirely. Now you can enjoy a harmonious, attractive, well-designed interior