How to work with Focal Points
1. The Problem
Focal points are a buzz word in interior design, and so many blogs insist on there being one focal point within a room. But what if you have a gorgeous view, a fireplace, and a dominant TV? It can be challenging to create a room layout and design that feels cohesive and well pulled together.
2. The Consequence
A room that has more than one possible focal point, where none of them are emphasised effectively will mean:
your space feels confusing to you and your visitors
there is no clear sense of purpose to the room
your focal points will compete with each other
Focal points can lead to a lot of confusion when deciding how to lay out a space. If you have a lovely view you want to emphasise, it is not uncommon to try the lounge suite along the window with the view, facing back into the room, or alternatively facing the window looking out. This either means you sit on the lounge suite and don’t get to enjoy the view, or your lounge suite is positioned in a way that is hard to access easily, and cuts off the room.
3. The Solution
We live in homes that need to be usable, practical and functional as well as beautiful, so designing rooms in a way that make them insta-worthy doesn’t always result in a room that works well for us.
An alternative way of designing your room, is less about focal points and design aesthetic, and more about the usability of the room from a practical point of view. Don’t worry they can still be beautiful and inspiring spaces - but they’ll work well too!
When designing your room ask yourself what isn’t working about the space, and see if you can create a layout that addresses these issues. Alternatively, ask yourself what you need the space to achieve, and find a solution that meets these needs. Write everything down in a list. For example:
want to appreciate the view
want to have easy conversation with family and friends
want to view the TV easily but not have it dominate
want a space that feels nice to spend time in
don’t want to sit in the draft
4. Examples
I want to share with you two examples of clients I’ve worked with who were both struggling with spaces that didn’t work well for them.
We created rooms that were a joy to spend time in by identifying what wasn’t working with the current layout, and creating a layout that better met their needs.
You will see in these examples that the focal points were utilised but they didn’t dictate the final room layout - yet they both worked a treat.
Example one
Here is one of my favourite examples when it comes to focal points. Initially the couch was put across the window as the view is a clear focal point for the room - but the layout didn’t work well for the family.
Before making any changes, we identified what we needed the space to achieve:
Ability to better appreciate the view
Comfortable and welcoming space (currently feels too exposed)
Couch to be positioned away from drafty window
Space to display special pieces
The new layout met all these needs and is a pleasure to spend time in without blindly following the “focal point rule”.
Example two
In this example, the TV was the focal point but the room wasn’t working well. First we identified what we wanted the room to achieve:
Space to spend time (watching TV or catching up with friends)
Comfortable and inviting
Not to feel like seating at a bus station (traffic flows from one door to another through the space)
We reconfigured the space (and made great use of the modular lounge suite) to create a comfortable entertainment area that wasn’t interrupted by people walking through the space, and still allowed for watching TV which was against the opposite wall.
If your living space isn’t arranged in a way that best meets your needs, you may have fallen victim to the focal point red herring.
Try writing a list of everything you need your space to achieve, and see if you can reconfigure furniture and accessories to better meet your needs - you’ll create a much more welcoming and usable space!