When it comes to food, presentation is about 75% of the taste.  If food looks good I believe it tastes better.  We eat with our eyes first; our eyes are our first senses that are stimulated.  Similarly in home décor, a room’s focal point is the first thing we see as we ‘taste’ the room.  The room’s focal point will draw the eye and hold it there giving the eyes a place to rest making the room feel more inviting.  A focal point may be an architectural feature such as a fireplace, built-in bookcase, a picture window or a detailed wall.  If the room has no distinguishing architectural feature the focal point may be a piece of art, a mirror, or a piece of furniture.  Sometimes a focal point can even be very small but if in the right location will immediately attract your eye.  A room’s focal point is key and no more than when staging a home do those words ring true.  I once had a client whose home I was staging for real estate sale where the house had been renovated top to bottom except for the kitchen.  The homeowner had run out of time and money but had decided to sell anyway.  My challenge was to make buyers overlook the fact that the kitchen was stuck in the early ‘80’s.  So working with what I had, I ‘diffused’ the situation by creating a focal point that potential buyer eyes were immediately drawn to.  On the kitchen counter I created a vignette of a black/white ‘barista’ centre complete with biscotti.  Knowing that the strong contrasting colours would draw the buyers’ eyes to this focal point first, the barista vignette of the coffee cup/cream and sugar/white linen/bowl of biscotti etc. offered a sense of ‘welcome’, a feeling of ‘retreat’.  My intent was to create a space that appealed to the buyers’ heart.  Well that bowl of biscotti did the trick, the un-renovated kitchen was overlooked and the house was sold.  The real estate agent told me afterwards that the buyer fell in love with the house when she walked in to the kitchen and visualized herself drinking her coffee in her new space.  A true story!  So if you are wondering where to start on decorating a room, start with the focal point. Below are some photos of another kitchen before/after photos.

        Images via Modmissy