Focal points in your room

Amanda Ncube

EVERY room needs a focal point . . . an eye-catching spot that draws people’s attention. A room’s focal point is its most emphasised feature and it reflects that there is order in a space.

In some houses it can be difficult to identify a focal point because there are a lot of items that can be used to grab people’s attention or there is nothing that can be used.

However, that does not mean you have to leave your home jumbled up.

Here are some ways to make sure that there is order in your home at the same time looking chic.

A living room is where family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company. It reflects the homeowner’s personal style. Make sure that guests do not look confused when they enter your room by directing their eyes where to look first.

There are so many items that can be appealing to your guests at first glance and these include a fireplace or large window.

Make sure that all these items do not compete for attention, instead they complement each other.

If you do not have architectural features such as the fireplace or large window to work with, it is best to improvise, for example you can fake a fireplace by using a large portrait that resembles a fireplace. Using a large piece of furniture (couch or room divider) can also help in creating a focal point.

You could use a large piece of artwork or a centre piece on top of a coffee table. For example a jar coated with different sizes of colourful beads as decorative pieces to be kept on counter-tops and shelves. Use them as a centre piece to make them the focal point in a room.

A large mirror can also be perfect. If your focal point is a large window with a view, you might arrange your furniture to frame it.

If it’s a large mirror or an interesting piece of artwork, you might frame it with two smaller elements on either side like placing two small portraits on both sides.

As for your bedroom, your eyes might be attracted to the window or a headboard. This can be a challenge considering that there is the window vis-a-vis the head of the bed. You can overcome this challenge by making these two strong elements complement each other.

Simply place the bed in front of the window to combine these two cohesively. Also, dressing either of the two with a neutral colour can also work.