DECORATING DYNAMICS Find the focal point and let form follow function

When the focal point is an eyesore, try to draw the eye away from the problem.
By CHRIS CASSON MADDEN
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
"Where do I start?" That question -- or some facsimile of it -- is one that I am often asked by women I talk to around the country at my speeches, book signings and seminars. How do designers look at an empty space and make that first, initial step towards beginning the decorating process?
I posed that question recently to Jeffrey Bilhuber, a New York decorator and author, who told me that he starts every project with what he calls "the big questions" -- specifically, the issues of proportion, natural light, the architectural elements and addressing how the room will be used.
I like to call these elements "the bones" of a room -- the physical aspects of that space that you may or may not be able to change. Is it clean-lined and spare or more ornate? Will it require the addition of molding and detail to give it character, or do you want to play down the formality of the room and keep it more contemporary? Are there good views and does the out-of-doors offer design inspiration? What is the condition of the floor and the walls?
But if you want the quick answer to where do you start, my advice is to cut right to the chase: determine the focal point. Once you've determined that, the rest will be a matter of function following form -- creating a room layout that is comfortable and makes sense, such as the grouping of furniture around a fireplace, or placing a game table in a family room.
A focal point can be a view from a prominent window, a piece of furniture such as a piano or armoire or an architectural element such as a fireplace that immediately draws your eye when you stand in the room. In a bedroom, a logical focal point would probably be the bed, but for some of us, perhaps a great vista of the ocean or a rolling lawn.
Cover up
Another important consideration when decorating our homes is how do we creatively cover up a focal point that happens to be an eyesore. Bilhuber optimistically notes that "design obstacles are nothing more than opportunities," so you may need to rethink your room and arrange it to distract the eye from an immovable or unpleasant feature, such as the bay window that used to look out at a garden but now looks into the high rise next door, the awkward placement of a doorway or perhaps your large-screen television.
Once you have determined your focal point, you can then roll up your sleeves and start the decorating process. Here are some ideas for establishing that focal point in your own living room:
UThe television. Because so much family time is spent gathered around the TV, it has evolved into the focal point in many of our rooms. And it makes sense to arrange our furniture to comfortably face the screen. Unless you have a very high-tech, plasma-flat screen TV, I personally prefer that the television not take center stage but be a bit more discreet when not in use. Fortunately, there are many design options today to make the TV secondary to the beautiful cabinet, armoire or built-in that it can reside in.
UThe sofa. The sofa is a key component of any living room layout and in my own living room the sofa (flanked by two small slipper chairs) faces the fireplace and an antique table placed behind the sofa serves double-duty as a buffet, library and game table or even an intimate dining spot.
Bilhuber suggests sitting on the sofa and pretend to have a conversation with someone in a chair. If it's comfortable and it works, then your sofa is in the right position. If it's not, imagine the sofa in a different spot, or closer to the other pieces of furniture. This may require several trips in and out of the room to admire the layout from different vantage points to determine that you got the placement "just right."
Or again, as Bilhuber suggests, "Imagine you're a chair: Where in the room would you want to be?"
UThe hearth. During the fall and winter, a fireplace in any room is a natural focal point. But during the warmer months, I always fill our empty fireplace with ferns, candles or a painted firescreen and even rearrange the furniture in summer creating a new focal point to take advantage of our garden views.
UThe grand statement. If you are lucky enough to possess a grand piano, an antique armoire, a cherished collection of objects or a treasured painting or photographs, use them as your focal point and create your room arrangement to showcase those items.
The change of seasons inspires many of us to take a fresh look around our homes to reexamine our decorating schemes and layouts. With the recent arrival of spring, why not take a moment to step back and determine the focal points in your own home? Sometimes all you need is a fresh eye and that elusive spot you may have been struggling to find reveals itself in an unexpected way.