Do you feel your room is missing something? Ever enter a room and feel a bit disoriented? A quick glimpse into your rooms can reveal a lot. You don't know exactly what is wrong, but you feel like you are floating in a sea of furniture, and the room lacks a sense of purpose. Chances are what is missing is a focal point.

In traditional interiors, the focal point is a given. Rooms generally are defined by four walls, and the focal point manifests itself in the form of a predominant architectural feature such as a fireplace, a bay window or a strategically placed archway. In these types of rooms, the focal point is easy to recognize, and a sense of familiarity and comfort exudes from them. Furniture arrangements are typical, sometimes symmetrical and sometimes not, and they radiate subserviently around the focal point.

In contemporary architecture and interiors, the focal point is harder to identify. This holds especially true in condominiums and newer homes. In open floor plans, a dedicated wall for the purpose of a focal point might not exist. In these situations, a focal point must be created. Here are a few tips for you:

— A large piece of furniture such as an armoire is an effective way to create an interesting focal point.

— Wallpaper on a single wall in a unique pattern is also an effective way to create an exciting focal point.

— A grouping of art or mirrors can create a focal point.

— Trimming an opening such as a doorway or window with millwork creates a focal point.

— Drapery can be used to build up a window or doorway as a focal point. Use a valance or pelmet.

— Pairings of furniture, e.g., a console and a mirror, a credenza and art, a settee and framed prints, can be arranged as a focal point.

— Televisions have had quite a "coming out" from closets, armoires and entertainment units. They now reveal themselves in their updated flat-screen form as sleek status symbols.

— When appropriate, a ceiling can serve as a focal point by painting it a different color or adding an architectural feature such as a medallion or a unique lighting fixture.

— Accenting a wall with color is an easy and inexpensive way to create interest and insinuate a focal point.

A focal point helps anchor furniture and gives the room a sense of purpose and organization. Don't forget that the focal point needn't be something static meant only to be observed. This significant feature of any room may be what generates activity in an otherwise passive room. It is important to keep the size of the room in mind and scale your intervention so that it is neither too small nor too large. Don't shy away from being bold. Calling attention to this particular part of the room is the task at hand.

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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