Making A Focal Point

Becky and I were chatting the other day about her rented new build and one of her biggest gripes, the lack of living room focal point.
It’s an issue mentioned frequently particularly in living rooms that don’t have fireplaces. If you don’t want to make your TV the main feature of the room then how do you draw in the eye and make the space seem more balanced and inviting, not to mention a bit more interesting?

Fake It

Well if you don’t have a fireplace then an obvious idea would be to add one. Not necessarily the whole nine yards of chimney and flue but a fire surround even if you don’t have a fire – granted though in a rented property like Becky’s this is a little tricker. My sister has a reclaimed fire surround propped against the wall to create a focal point. In Hannah’s case this works really well as the alcoves suggest a chimney breast which indicates a fire should sit in this area. However if you take a look at Kate La Vie’s swoon worthy apartment then her fire surround shows you can still mock up the grandeur of a fireplace on a flat wall.

See more of Hannah’s renovation. Image by Richmond Pictures.

Emulate Proportions

Another alternative is to use furniture which mimics the proportions and shape of a fireplace. This image I’ve found on Pinterest isn’t my style but demonstrates this perfectly. The chest of drawers styled with a frame over the top really anchors the room.
In a similar vein, the absolutely gorgeous living room at Allison Sadler’s shows how you can use a sideboard and mirror to once again emulate the shape and storage that comes with a fire surround.

See Allison’s full home tour.

Create Floor To Ceiling Interest

Another way to add a focal point is to add floor to ceiling interest. I’m giddy to share a sneak peek of a shoot we did last week at the jaw dropping home of Rebecca from Roses and Rolltops. The introduction of a mirror wall with vintage battered armchairs and an envy inducing reclaimed radiator takes up the entire height of the room and creates a central point which would work well in so many different settings. Extra brownie points if you have a gorgeous view to reflect back into the room. Even if you don’t have all the elements shown here, going floor to ceiling with any form of collection will really pull the eye in.

See more of Rebecca’s home.

Dominate A Wall

If you don’t have the space to create a floor to ceiling display then consider adding creating interest on one wall by using paint or wallpaper.
In Adam’s old master bedroom the dark wall is a real feature.

See more of Adam’s House.

Let The Furniture Do The Talking

Adding one piece of amazeballs furniture can also create a big wow. Greg’s vibrant mustard sofa is going to steal the show in this room and proves you don’t need nooks and crannies to create character in a room.

See Greg’s full London Apartment tour.

So where does this leave the lovely Becky? The floor plan for her new build is in the header above so you can see what she’s dealing with. The play area leads on to the garden and as it’s a rental there’s unlikely to be any scope to move the TV port. Therefore it’s likely the furniture configuration will have to stay the same.
With this in mind I’d be tempted to say expand the gallery wall to cover the whole of the living space, creating a divide with the play space mixing in much larger frames and artwork as well as all the lovely family photos.
Anyone else lacking a focal point? How did you combat it and add more interest to the space?