Whether you are moving into a new apartment or home or redecorating your current living space, creating fun focal points will make each room feel unique. Focal points are a great way to express your sense of style, reflect your personality, and are a way to take a regular old room and make it an amazing room. Just one small change can take a space from ordinary to extraordinary!

How about a new painting in a bare room? A couple of pieces of upscale furniture? Modern LED light fixtures? Perhaps a new entertainment system? You can even create fun focal points outside. How about a new play-set? A gazebo? A zen garden? A lot can be considered a ‘focal point,’ as long as it attracts people’s attention and is fun.

Here are some fun focal points you can consider for your home or yard.

Fireplace

Sometimes creating a focal point is just a matter of reworking something that is preexisting. If you already have a fireplace but it doesn’t attract much attention, consider sprucing it up. A few fun ideas are:

• Paint the brick

• Add a mantle or header – this can even be done for plain gas fireplaces

• Change the mantel or header

• Redecorate the mantel with statement artwork or vases

Decorative Walls

Creating a statement wall is another way to take a preexisting room and drastically change its appearance. You can create one wall that pops, or do the entire room in a bold wall covering. A few fun ideas are:

• Add decorative wall paper: Wallpaper has really come a long way with a vast variety of colors, textures, and patterns.

• Add a wall sticker: This is an enlarged piece of art that can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes.

• Paint a wall so it pops: This could be done by creating one wall in a standout color, or painting a unique pattern, texture, or finish.

• Add panels: There are a variety of textures of wood, stone, or fabric panels that can be added to your wall to create fun focal points. These panels can even be custom built to incorporate your entertainment system or to include custom-lighted walls.

A Statement Piece

Finding a statement piece that calls attention when you enter the room is a great way to create a focal point. Consider a unique piece of art, a standout couch and chairs, or a beautiful antique piece that can be used as the inspiration for how you design your entire room. A few fun ideas are:

• A unique piece of art: This could be a sculpture, wall art, or a series of strategically placed vases.

• Distinctive furniture: This could have a standout pattern or color, a unique shape or texture, or be accented by one-of-a-kind pillows.

• An antique piece: An intricately crafted armoire, a table you just can’t take your eyes off of, or an antique piece reupholstered in a modern fabric.

The Great Outdoors

There are several strategies you can take with your landscaping that will not only create a focal point, but will make it the ideal place to entertain. A few fun ideas are:

• Build something: This could be a beautiful patio, deck, archway in the yard, or a gazebo.

• Plant an eye-catching tree: The type of tree will need to be determined by the climate in your area, but consider standout tress like a flame maple, a Japanese cherry blossom, a weeping willow, or a twisted or sprawling tree.

• Build a secret garden: Create an enclosed flower garden with a small pathway that leads to a man-made pond.

• Other elements: This could include a rock garden, a fountain, a bonfire pit, or a gaming area.

Creating fun focal points both inside and outside of your home allows you to express your signature style, makes your home uniquely yours, and gives you a place you enjoy sharing with your friends and family.

Guest Post By: 

This article was contributed by Chase Roberts, home & garden connoisseur, personal decorator, and all-around handyman. If a gorgeous new patio or driveway is your idea of a unique outdoor focal point, Chase recommends Houston Pavers, highly-skilled pavers in Houston TX