A focal point is basically the point of interest in an image, landscape, or scenery. It provides the eye with an immediate attention to which it focuses itself onto, and is usually the first thing that the observer ever sees or notices, consciously or unconsciously. There have been many wide applications of this technique, especially in photography and in the arts. But it is also know to be applied in general interior design and decoration as well, “stimulating the eye to create an art with its own self” as sometimes stated. The kitchen is one good place of a home, and like all rooms in a house or establishment, kitchens too can be applied with the focal point technique.
For the central focus to the room, you can start with something that generally contrasts every other object or articles found in the room. You can choose from a wide variety of different objects to apply this, but you can generally do it to an object that you want to make as the key visual interest in the room, the exact first thing that can be noticed, or something that can create a contrasting but colorful difference in the entire room.
Kitchen tables are a good example. If you are going for ultra-modern design, then I can suggest a sleek combination of black and white, with table being white, and the center pieces and articles on the table being black. Even in this rather crude representation, you are able to create a smooth design are can create a streak in the observers eye to make it its center of attention.
Another good suggestion is to position the small objects found in the kitchen in a peculiar manner that it literally “protrudes” out of the attention of a person. Just like how we use color contrasts to take the attention of one’s eye towards something, you can also use the positioning of an object to instantly direct the attention of the observer to a certain object upon inspection of the entire room.
A simple way to do this is put away every single article placed on a table, leaving only one single article in the center. This way, the eye can focus on only one particular object on the room, plus it adds that sense of modern neatness in a way that is impossible in overly detailed rooms (you can even combine contrasting techniques to further amplify the effects).
Additionally, repeating patterns around a distinct shape can also make one’s eye focus on a certain area. This time using the kitchen’s counter top as a reference you can try to make it go for a tile design, creating a regular pattern throughout the countertop, only to be interrupted by certain spots where the pattern goes different from the rest of the design.
A combination of all of these techniques is most appropriate, and with a good theme and design for your kitchen, the dark gloomy days in your medieval castle kitchen are finally over.
