When a room is predominately neutral, with earth toned walls and furnishings, choosing one or two pieces of furniture that are red will automatically create a focal point in the room. Made of leather, the Kathy Ireland Home by Omnia Furniture Leather Lyon Club Three Seat Sofa and the Kathy Ireland Home by Omnia Furniture Leather Lyon Club Chair placed together in a living room or family room will definitely create a welcoming ambiance. The red tone of the sofa and club chair is deeper or darker in tone, which while drawing the eye into the room (focal point) they also are richer rather than bolder.

When using red as a wall color (from Benjamin Moore), you have two basic options: the first is to paint the entire room red; the second is to choose one wall and use red on that wall as an accent color. If painting the whole room red, plan on some “white space”; for example, paint the ceiling, baseboards, doors and/or windows white. Another variation on this theme would be to select a brighter red tone for all of the walls and pair it with white wainscoting or beadboard. This would be a great choice for a country, Mission or Shaker style kitchen or dining room.

If the second option appeals to you, before choosing red as an accent color, decide which wall would be best and what you would like to feature in that part of the room. Don’t forget that whatever you place near or against the red accent wall will be “spotlighted.” This may be the perfect opportunity to add an electric fireplace like the Electrolog by Dimplex Mozart Electric Fireplace in Gloss Black or the Riverside Furniture Delcastle 63 Inch TV Entertainment Wall System.

Instead of showcasing a fireplace or a specific piece of furniture, another alternative to the accent wall option is to use the space to display art work, a painting or a distinctive mirror like the American Drew Bob Mackie Signature Accent Round Mirror. This idea would work well in a dining room as wall as a den, family room, living room or hallway.

When you don’t’ want to repaint the room, you can still decorate with red by bringing the color into the room in a number of ways, specifically through judicious accessorizing. For it to have impact, choose a minimum of three items, such as red accent pillows, a red ottoman and an area rug like the L.A. Rugs Euphoria Style Crimson Frame Rug.

Who sits on an indoor bench or even an outdoor bench for an extended period of time? Because benches are designed to be used as temporary seating, you might think they’re not worth the expense. However, the versatility of an interior bench just may surprise you. As an accent furniture piece, it can be adapted to virtually any room. While it might be unusual to spend an extended period of time seated on a bench, having one or two (or even three) in your home can definitely improve the room’s interior design, making the space more practical and functional. Because benches are so distinctive, from traditional to contemporary, they will even add a sense of style and elegance to any room they are in.

Benches in the Bedroom

The bed bench has been well received by those designing their ideal master bedroom as a convenient spot for putting on shoes, setting down a purse, or depositing a stack of laundry until it can be stashed away. Often placed at the foot of the bed, the bench helps define the bed itself, the natural focal point of the room’s design. Bed benches like the Tommy Bahama Home Island Estate Plantain Bed Bench, which are typically backless, have taken on an identity as a hallmark of upscale traditional décor bedrooms.

Particularly if there is a shortage of cupboard space or the bedroom is smaller in size, consider a bedroom bench that includes storage. The Prepac Fremont Espresso Cubbie Storage Bench, with open storage spaces and a seating surface, is a very popular choice.

The Coaster Danielle Leather Storage Bench at the end of a bed in a master bedroom or guest bedroom is a practical yet decorative way to disguise clutter. It is also a great place to store extra blankets or pillows whether for yourself or a guest.

Benches in the Hallway or Foyer

An entry way bench, like the Southern Enterprises Storage Seat Bench makes the foyer or the entrance of your home welcoming, a symbolic gesture to come in and sit down. Many types of hallway of foyer benches include cubbies, lift-top storage and baskets or shelves. A storage bench is an ideal place to store footwear and outdoor accessories.

For families and those that have a larger entryway, a rectangular and longer bench will be ideal. The ability to locate such a bench like the Stanley Furniture Sunset Key Nautilus Maple Shell Bench adjacent to your foyer closet is a desirable layout option as it provides symmetry to the area and provides a visual aesthetic quality with established appeal.

A hall tree coatrack is a functional furniture piece that include useful features like hooks, hidden storage and sometimes even mirrors. The Home Styles Furniture Full Hall Tree Storage Bench is a great example of how much storage capacity a hall tree coatrack bench can have.

Benches in the Kitchen or Dining Room

Bench seating with backs can be used to create a breakfast nook.

A backless bench placed underneath a window can be used as a window seat in addition to providing seating at the dining table.

The Hillsdale Verona 6-Piece Rectangle Dining Set mixes dining chairs with a bench adding another dimension to the dining table and creating visual interest.

Both color and shape are used to surprise the senses. It might not sound like a decorating scheme we would want in the one room of our homes that should be the calmest and most tranquil. But the furnishings of European design utilize clean lines and rectilinear profiles to create a spatial rhythm that is especially soothing in the bedroom.

For our bedroom European design interior, we will start with the Lifestyle Solutions Wilshire Four Poster Canopy Platform Bed. The lines are simple, but by tapering the posts of the bed and echoing the tapered shapes in the legs, both balance and visual interest are created. The height of the posts capped by the canopy frame is dramatic and stunning.

You can dramatize the bed even more by choosing canopy drapes in a bold, solid color or a bright pattern in contrasting colors. Matching the canopy linens to the window treatment will add more color to the room, as well as pull all of the elements in the room together.

To further layer the room with shape, we’ll select the Modus Maui Wave Three Drawer Nightstand, one for either side of the bed. The clever use of a convex/concave pattern to create a wave effect is European interior design at its most eloquent. Harking back to innovative Euro design techniques, the “crest” of each wave acts at drawer pulls. The sense of motion generated by the drawer fronts is perfectly framed by the “floating” body of the nightstand on a base narrower than the main part of this bedside table.

As an alternative to using the nightstand’s matching dresser, we’re going to punch up our European interior design with the Metropolitan Master 8 Drawer Dresser. While it still has a sense of motion, the gently curving lines emphasize the recessed sides, drawing the eye from viewing the dresser head on, but rather focusing on this beautiful furniture piece as a whole.

The wide stripes of the Hallmart Cinnamon 10 Piece King Comforter Bed in a Bag Set will give the bed a quiet, yet sophisticated look. The colors are ideally suited to a common Euro design palette that combines neutrals with earth tones.

The NOVA Lighting Swoop Dark Brown Standing Table Lamp advances the use of shape in the room. It also provides a cohesive context for the curving shapes that are a part of the dresser and nightstand, as well as the straight and angled lines of the bed. The lamp stand’s brushed nickel accents complement the dresser’s pewter finished hardware.

If you have chosen to bring color into the room with bright canopy drapes and window treatments, now is a good time to ground the room with an area rug that uses some or all of the colors. However, if you prefer to keep to the earth toned/neutral palette, choose a rug, like the Nourison Parallels PR20 Black and White Area Rug that emphasizes the shades already in the room while bringing out the rich finishes of the wood pieces.

This completes our series on European interior design. Tune in again next Wednesday for the beginning of a new mini series on how to create a specific designer look. And by all means, if you have a favorite design style you would me to focus on, feel free to email your suggestions to me.

Whether your style is traditional or contemporary, in European interior design, lines are sharp and crisp, emphasis is on shape and traditional elements are utilized in new and surprising ways.

For a European designer look in the dining room that is eclectic and smart, start with the table and then work your way around the room.

Armen Living M27 60″ Round Travertine Dining Table

The round tabletop paired with distinctive shape of the pedestal base is a great example of the use of shape. Lines are sophisticated, flowing and smooth.

Druid Hills Collection 3 Light Uplight Chandelier

The round shape is echoed in this beautifully detailed chandelier. The combination of opaque glass and warm metal finish will bring out the best of the table’s organic elements.

Canterbury Home Furnishing Manhattan Dining Side Chair

The button-tufted backrest says “tailored” while the curved back and saber legs add visual interest. The chair had an understated glam look.

Lexington Zacara Carlyle 4 Shelf Dining Room Buffet with Removable Wine Rack

This buffet is truly contemporary with its form-is-function design. The “floating” top shelf and side cabinets is visually stunning. The warm sable finish is the perfect complement to the round stone dining table.

Couristan Focal Point Area Rug Collection – Artifacts/Mocha

The surface of the rug is textured and the color is warm and inviting. Like the chandelier, this area rug will enhance the natural elements of the table and emphasize the lines of the dining chairs and the buffet.

Tune in again next Wednesday for further discussion of European interior design, this time for a unique look for your living room.