hi everyone welcome to another design lesson video in each video I'm going to
review some key design principles that you should keep in mind when you're
thinking about renovating or decorating your space so if you have a design
dilemma and need some answers feel free to comment in the section below with
your questions or you can tweet me your questions on twitter @designchickee
your dilemma could become one of these design lesson videos right here in the
meantime let's get to today's topic
today I'm going to talk about how to choose and develop focal points in your
home the focal point of a painting is an area of emphasis that demands the most
attention and to which the viewers eye is drawn pulling it into the painting a
focal point in interior design is an element that catches your attention as
well it's usually the most important part of a room where furniture is
focused on that focal point it can determine how you walk into the room
around that furniture and it should really hold your attention once you're
in the room this idea of drawing you into a room is really important because
it tends to be the first thing you see when you walk into a space and it
becomes your first impression of the space so you'll want it to be warm and
inviting so how do you do that the number-one rule is to walk through your
home and pinpoint the spots where you need to add warmth and interest to pull
you in further let's start at the front door
of course any curb appeal always centers around the front door and making it the
most inviting the door naturally draws you into the home so making sure the
color of the door lighting around it the landscaping leading up to the door all
of these things together create a focal point on the exterior of your home that
naturally pulls you in what's the first thing you see once you open your front
door is it a staircase maybe you can arrange a console and some artwork or a
beautiful floral arrangement in that line of sight maybe it's just a wall in
that case add interest and warmth again by adding furniture artwork and lighting
let's move on to the living room if the wall you see when you first walk in has
a fireplace then that's your primary focal point half the work is already
done now all you need to do is make that fireplace really stand out furniture
should be positioned so you can see the fireplace
perhaps a bold color is the way to go or maybe you want the entire wall to stand
strong in which case symmetrically placed artwork and furniture on either
side of the fireplace can really make the wall a statement what if you don't
have a fireplace or maybe the wall you first see when you walk into your living
room is just a wall adding artwork like a gallery wall will draw you into the
space what if in this scenario the TV or fireplace or both is on the opposite
wall then make that a focal point - yes it's okay to have more than one focal
point in a room the important thing is to make sure they don't compete with one
another so having them on opposite walls is a really good idea choose one to be
more dominant than the other and in this case the wall with the TV and Ruth's
fireplace should be most dominant because it's the one that will hold your
attention when you're in the room
in many cases the dining room table is centered in the room and it's usually
very prominent in the space but again the important part is how you walk into
the room if you come into the room at the head of the table the chandelier
that hangs in the middle of the room is most likely the most important aspect of
the room you'll see that light fixture more than the wall beyond so make sure
it's bold and strong and it holds your attention if you're walking into the
side of the table meaning the long side of the table and
there's a long wall opposite you when you walk in then there's a great
opportunity for something really special because you'll be able to see more wall
space beyond the table than the chandelier I love the idea of this
wallpaper feature and the chandelier here is less dramatic so you can really
focus on the wallpaper it's a great focal point in this room when I get the
chance to design a kitchen from scratch I look at how I walk into the room and
what my eyes will focus on that's where I try to play something big and
important in the kitchen and that tends to be the range and the range hood it's
usually more decorative than the rest of the kitchen and in many cases is a
different material from the rest of the kitchen cabinetry so it's a great
feature that naturally stands out but you can also use a beautiful pantry as
your focal point or a large sink in front of a striking window again it's
all about drawing you in that first impression when you walk into the
kitchen is your focal point
with bedrooms I think the bed is the statement so I try to place the
headboard opposite the door it really gives you the opportunity to really beef
up that focal point by decorating around the bed selecting a special headboard
the nightstands with interesting lighting on either side and of course
with artwork above all of this can create a beautiful focal point but if
the bed isn't the first thing you see you need something when you first walk
in maybe it's just a wall of family photography or a makeup vanity or or a
reading nook add something warm and interesting to pull you in focal points
and bathrooms are a major plus everyone wants a beautiful bathroom and that
statement is made the minute you walk into the bathroom and you say wow that's
a beautiful bathroom if you are renovating your bathroom consider again
how you walk into the room and consider what you see first a big no-no you don't
want to see the toilet it's just not the most pleasing thing in the bathroom
instead consider a free-standing tub and creating warmth and interest in and
around the tub like this or an amazing shower where you can focus on beautiful
tile work I love seeing the bathroom vanity with all its fittings like
beautiful mirrors or wall sconces think about what makes the bathroom beautiful
and it's always a good idea to hide the toilet and finally it can't just be all
about focal points you need smaller areas that let your eye travel from one
focal point to another or one room to another when I'm working on designing or
decorating a home I walk through the floor plan and find spots that need some
kind of attention but are not important enough to be major focal points I call
these points of interest these points add so much character and texture to a
home think about spots at the end of the hall like this here we're not even in
the same room but I can see something intriguing in the next room and it makes
me want to go farther or maybe it's an area in a room that doesn't sit around a
focal point but needs some kind of furniture to fill it in this is a great
place for additional seating like a bench or asset a round it out with
artwork and you've got a great little point of it
just sometimes color can play a part in creating a focal point but also a point
of interest like this tiny wall between the front entry and the closet color can
make it special and pleasing maybe it's an area that sits between two open rooms
a gallery wall with a bench below is the perfect transitional point of interest
so there you have it focal points can draw you into a space
and they are meant to hold your attention once you're in the space they
can determine the layout of the furniture around it as well and how you
walk through the space points of interests are smaller areas that can
lead you from one room to another or from one focal point to another all of
these points create warmth and interest in your home thanks for watching my
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