You are ready to begin planning a new luxury kitchen.  You have been thinking about cabinet styles, the kind and amount of storage you’ll add, and the large and small appliances that will fulfill your culinary wishes.

But, have you given any thought to your kitchen focal point? That is, the first thing people will notice when they enter the room. The element or feature that will “invite” guests in and then direct their attention to the rest of your newly designed kitchen, drawing the eye around the room and bringing it back to the starting point.

If you have a small kitchen, creating a focal point can open up the room, making it appear larger and more functional. In a larger kitchen, a focal point can provide the building block for the overall look and organization of the room. Your color palette and the types and textures of materials you plan to use will be determined by the size, shape, color and texture of your selected focal element.

The kind of lighting you select to showcase your chosen focal point is also key. For example, pendant lighting can be perfect over an island/seating area, but it would not be your first choice for a work/prep area where you want more focused lighting to enable you to easily read recipes and cooking directions.

What’s a focal-point-worthy element?

The answer is that the perfect focal point for your kitchen can be almost anything you can imagine. A brightly colored wall, a ceiling soffit, a dramatic breakfront-style cabinet, a prominent or multi-level kitchen island. Even a set of striking barstools or a favorite piece of art can take center stage and set the stage for a kitchen your friends just can’t take their eyes off.