How to Use Architectural Focal Points

For a room to feel balanced and well designed, you need a strong architectural focal point. Knowing how to use architectural focal points isn’t hard. The trick is to assess the architectural characteristics of your room and to know how you want it to be used. Without a focal point, rooms feel disorganized and messy.

If your room has an architectural structure that naturally draw the eye, it is often best to build your furniture around it. You can try to create a focal point away from a built-in architectural point, but you'll have to work twice as hard to draw attention away from it.

Fireplaces are natural focal points. Big enough to be architecturally impressive, fireplaces are a source of warmth and comfort. Fires are also visually interesting in themselves, and when you add mantel decorations, they easily attract the most attention. Drawing seating around the fireplace plays up the fireplace and designates it as the star of the room.

Large picture windows also serve as natural architectural focal points. Beautiful moldings and trims make them even more interesting. And if you have a gorgeous view, the window really shines. If the window is very large, try to balance it with a large furniture piece, such as the sofa, in a position opposite the window.

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