5 Simple Designer Tips For Creating The Perfect Focal Point
Use these 5 simple tips to create a beautiful focal point in any room and learn why every space in your home needs one.
You’ve fluffed the pillows, styled the shelves, and added a few personal touches, but your room still feels like something is not quite right. That used to happen to me all the time! One of the most common reasons your room feels off, unfinished, or scattered is that it lacks a strong focal point. Let’s fix that!
Here are 5 tips that work for creating a strong focal point in any room, making decorating feel so much easier.
What Is A Focal Point
A focal point is one of the basic elements of design, and every room needs one. It’s usually the most eye-catching feature in a room and the first thing someone sees when they walk in. A focal point draws the eye in and helps the rest of the room feel balanced and pulled together.
In my living room, the fireplace and mantel are the natural focal points because they are architectural features and dominate the space. You might have a bed in a bedroom that draws your eye or a beautiful centerpiece table in the dining room with a pretty centerpiece.
When a room lacks a focal point, all the decor seems to be fighting for attention. And that creates confusion. But with a strong focal point, the room feels more settled and visually pleasing.
Let’s discuss five simple steps you can take to create beautiful focal points in your home.
Natural Focal Point Examples
There are so many beautiful options that can become a room’s focal point. Here are some things to look for or create that naturally draw the eye and help anchor a space.
- Fireplace and mantel
- Large piece of artwork
- Statement mirror
- Bed with a beautiful headboard
- Sofa with pillows and wall decor above it
- Console table with styled decor
- Dining table with a seasonal centerpiece
- Built-in bookcase or shelving
- Large window with curtains framing it
- Gallery wall
- TV with a styled media console
- Painted or wallpapered accent wall
- Hutch or cabinet with styled shelves
- Grand piano or musical instrument
- Tall indoor plant or tree
- Architectural features like a beam or an arched doorway
- A vignette on a buffet, sideboard, or dresser
Make Sure Every Room Has One Focal Point
Every room should have one main thing that draws your eye. That’s your focal point. It can be something structural, like a fireplace or a built-in bookcase, or something you add, such as a large mirror or a piece of artwork.
Without a focal point, there’s nothing for your eye to rest on. Everything feels busy and unsettled. A focal point gives the room structure and helps the rest of your decor make sense.
Use Dominance To Help Choose Your Focal Point
One of the easiest ways to choose a focal point is to look for the dominant feature in the room. This is the item that naturally grabs your attention. Sometimes it’s an architectural element like a fireplace or a big window. At other times, it might be a large piece of furniture or something you’ve added to the room, such as a mirror or artwork.
Dominance In Decorating
Dominance is a helpful design concept that means one thing in a room stands out more than anything else. It’s what makes your focal point work.
Here’s a simple example. Think about a wrestling match. Two people are trying to win, and the winner is the one who becomes dominant over the other. Now think about a room in your home. You don’t want the decor in that room to be in a wrestling match with itself.
If everything in the room is trying to be the center of attention, then nothing stands out. It just feels busy and unsettled. But when you let one thing be dominant, the “winner” in the room, it calms everything else down. Your eye knows exactly where to look first. This is an important part of creating a focal point. It helps the rest of the room feel balanced and beautiful.
When you let one thing in the room be the dominant element, it helps the space feel more ordered and beautiful. Your eye knows exactly where to look first, and that sets the tone for how the rest of the room comes together.
Let The Other Decor Support The Focal Point
Once you decide on the focal point in a room, let the rest of your decor support it. The key is not to let everything compete with each other. You don’t want a room full of items all vying for your attention. That creates a kind of visual wrestling match.
Instead, think of the focal point as the “star” and everything else as part of the supporting cast. Select furniture, accessories, lighting, and colors that complement the focal point, rather than competing with it.
Frame The Focal Point
Once you have a focal point, frame it to give it even more presence in the room. This just means placing decor around it that draws your eye right to it.
You can flank a mantel with candlesticks or add art to each side of a mirror. You might use curtains to frame a window or place two chairs on either side of a console table with artwork above it.
Framing helps your focal point feel intentional and anchors the space beautifully.
Let The Focal Point Guide Your Decorting Decisions
A focal point helps you visually enter the room and makes the rest of the room feel more cohesive. When you know where to look first, it’s easier to understand the layout and how everything in the room works together.
Once you’ve chosen your focal point, decorate from there. Use it as a guide to help you make decorating decisions. This is one of the easiest ways to make your room feel cohesive and beautiful.
Can There Be Two Focal Points In A Room
Yes, a room can have more than one focal point, but it takes a little planning. Most rooms feel best when there’s one clear dominant feature, like a fireplace or a large piece of art. But sometimes, a space naturally has two strong elements. For example, you might have a fireplace on one wall and a large window or built-in bookcase on another.
The key is to decide which one will take the lead and which one will quietly support it. One should clearly be the main feature, and the second can be softened with simpler styling or lower contrast so it doesn’t compete. You can also connect the two by creating balance in the rest of the room, using furniture placement, color, and repetition to visually link the elements together.
Our living room actually has two focal points. One is the fireplace and mantel, which is a natural architectural element in the room. It’s painted the same soft white as the walls, so it gently blends in and doesn’t demand too much attention. The other is a white buffet with a mirror above it, which I often decorate with lamps and seasonal touches. Because the buffet draws more attention, we keep the mantel very simple. We hung a calm, neutral piece of artwork above it and usually style it with just a trio of candlesticks and candles. This keeps the room feeling balanced and lets both focal points work together without competing.
Just like with any good design decision, the goal is for the room to feel calm and intentional. If both focal points are styled with equal weight and drama, the room may feel visually overwhelming. But when done right, having two focal points can add interest and charm to a space.
Creating a focal point in a room is such a simple way to make your home look more polished and pulled together. When you know what to focus on and how to highlight it, decorating the rest of the room becomes so much easier.
I hope these tips help you see your spaces with fresh eyes and give you the confidence to create something beautiful in your home.
More Posts To Enjoy: Related Posts
If you’re looking for more ideas on styling or decorating around a focal point, these posts offer helpful tips and inspiration.
Dining Room Table Centerpiece Ideas
Your dining table is a natural focal point. Here are ideas to style it beautifully for everyday and special occasions.
How To Decorate A Beautiful Fall Mantel With A TV Or Large Painting
Learn how to work with larger focal points like a television or artwork and create a balanced, seasonal look.
Helpful Ideas For Decorating A Small Space You Will Love To Live In
Small spaces still need a strong focal point. This post is full of tried-and-true tips for decorating rooms with limited space.
Foyer Table Decor: Easy Step-By-Step Styling Like A Pro
The foyer often sets the tone for your whole home. Learn how to style a foyer table that welcomes guests and acts as a beautiful focal point.
Styling An Updated Looking Coffee Table In 5 Easy Steps
Give your coffee table a fresh and stylish update. These five steps will help you style it like a pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to choose a focal point is to look around the room and notice what naturally draws your attention. That’s often the fireplace, a big window, or a large piece of furniture like a bed or sofa. If the room doesn’t already have an obvious focal point, you can create one with a mirror, large artwork, or a piece of furniture styled with intention. Just pick one thing and let it be the star.
Yes, but be careful. In most cases, one main focal point is best. If your room has more than one strong feature—like a fireplace and a large picture window—you can still make it work. Just decide which one is the most dominant, and let the other one support it. You don’t want your decor to compete for attention. Everything should work together, not fight with each other.
If your room doesn’t have a fireplace, a built-in, or another obvious feature, no problem. You can create a beautiful focal point. A large piece of art over a console table, a pretty mirror with sconces on each side, or a thoughtfully styled bookshelf can all become the star of your room. Select something that has presence and catches your eye when you enter the space.
Yes! Every room, no matter how big or small, feels more put together with a focal point. It helps the room feel finished and guides how you decorate the rest of the space. Even in a hallway, powder room, or small guest bedroom, one eye-catching feature helps the space feel more intentional and welcoming.
Happy decorating, friends…
Beautiful, as always! I am on a quest for similar cascading tulips like the ones featured in your beautiful urn. Any source recommendations?I recently purchased some faux tulips but they are very upright. Any info. Is appreciated!
I love your blog and find everything you say to be very interesting and understandable. I just have one more thing to say though, please take the sign off of your mantle. I read your blog every time it comes to my inbox but I don’t think I can bare to see that sign one more time. Thank you!
A little bit harsh, Vicki! The sign says what the living area is all about, gathering.
Hi, my great room has two focal points that I am not sure how to handle. The main one everyone sees is a bank of windows 28’ long that over look Lake Michigan. The second is a lovely fireplace and mantle at 90 degrees to the windows. No curtains on the windows just pull down shades. Also the run corner to corner in the room with even more windows on the sides. Our chairs face the windows as our favorite place to watch the lake. How do I decorate this?
Since your chairs face the window then it is the focal point of your room. Keep the decor on your fireplace simple. It’s hard to pick a true focal point when there are two wonderful architectural elements in a room. I bet your views are so pretty!
Barb, I am curious what kind of pull down shades you have. Many of my windows and we have a lot do not have adequate space for drapery panels even to flank just the sides of the windows. We currently have soft pleat blinds ( we purchased our home a year ago) but I feel it makes our rooms look sterile. Creating an idea folder. Appreciate your thoughts. June
I have just discovered your sight and love it! My husband and I are building our dream home. I am worried about our two story great room having too many focal points or which one to make the focal point. Maybe you can help. As you go straight into the room from the foyer you are looking out two story windows and at a black baby grand piano – the focal point. It is kind of it’s own room – 6 foot extension and an arched two story frame. The great room is in front of that piano room. The great room will have a two story fireplace on the right wall of its entry and the couch will be on the left wall of the entry. The wall behind the couch is also two story like the fireplace – this room is enclosed all to itself . I would say the fireplace is the focal point if you ignore looking straight back to the piano room. I was thinking of putting very subtle cream wallpaper on the wall behind the couch – honestly I’m not sure what to do with the two story wall behind the couch – do you have any ideas for me?
Susan, your dream home sounds gorgeous! I can better help you if you send me pictures. You can send them to [email protected]
This is one of the best posts ever! I just had an epiphany with regard to a focal point! The wresting example helped me understand the importance of having one winner and yet have the rest of the room support the focal point. Thank you!
So glad this helped, Lynette!
So serene and welcoming❤️
I love the way you decorate and how you have updated your decor since moving to your downsized house. Bit by bit you have made both big and small changes.
I appreciate you! ????????
Thanks, Joanna! So sweet.