Focal Points in Interior Design

How to Select a Focal Points in a Room

Have you ever walked into a room where everything is virtually screaming at you? A room where everything competes for attention in placement, style, scale, color and texture?

One of the ways to avoid that type of chaos is to understand the function of the room, make a decision about where the focal point (or points) will be located and create surroundings that “complement” that piece. For instance, take this Dining Room I designed (see picture). Early on I decided I wanted the dining table in the center of the room to be the focal point. After that decision was made, I made sure that all larger surfaces in the room remain un-patterned or just slightly patterned:

1) The background wall is silver leafed, you can see the slight differentiation of the rectangular silver leaves, but it works as a dull mirror that helps the glass table sparkle even more.

2) Draperies consist of flat sliding panels of lined silk with a subtle tone on tone pattern; their unmannered design is also meant to visually reinforce the table).

3) The aubergine wool rug has a barely noticeable small pattern and its main function is to provide a strong contrasting color to the table base.

4) The light fixture consists of a curved hand-blown glass suspended by steel cables and illuminated from the ceiling by low voltage fixtures, its function is to appear like a “floating” leaf above the table. A heavier fixture or chandelier would have competed with the table.

5) The more traditional looking chairs are upholstered in solid off-white velvet and their wooden frames, slightly brushed in antique gold, were deliberately chosen to contrast with the sharp, contemporary crackled glass of the table base.

As I always say: a well designed room is one where there was a "commitment" made to its function, feel and style long before anything is selected.

Eclectic Interiors

It seems like lately everybody wants to hear my definition of “eclectic” interiors...Half of the clients who hire me want me to design such interiors for them; as for the other half, we tend to start with a definite stylistic direction and we end up with very eclectic spaces anyway. An eclectic interior is one that derives its generating ideas, style and taste from a diverse range of sources. I have studied too many styles, visited too many cities, walked too many museums, seen too many movies not to be eclectic. How could we possibly be any different in such a “globalized” world? I have this bank of images and experiences in my mind, a well from which I am constantly tapping for inspiration. There is so much that is so beautiful about every style. So… What is the key to a well-designed eclectic room? My short answer is: a harmonious dialogue between all the parts; it seems simple at first but in fact it requires extensive editing and evaluation. Comparatively speaking, staying within the boundaries of a specific style is much easier.

Consider the dining room I designed on this picture, the columns came from a late 18th century English estate, their rich texture surface frames the room and gives it importance. The rosewood dining table is a French Deco reproduction, its clean lines and rich graining give it the anchoring weight required in the center of the room; the stylized Regency chairs in a dark mahogany display their graceful frame against  the bone colored walls giving the room movement and interest. Table and chairs sit on a wool and silk rug that I designed using the undulating lines that characterized Art Nouveau. The contemporary chrome chandelier with Murano glass pendants was my boldest move in this room (just think how overwhelming a wrought iron chandelier would look in its place!) it is its lightness that allows all the other pieces to reveal themselves. As I mentioned before, a lot of thought goes behind every detail in order to achieve the perfect mix of styles. Eclectic interiors are by far the most complex and challenging ones.