When planning the lighting for individual rooms, it is important to determine the key focal points, so that they can be lit separately. They might include a favorite picture or sculpture, a piece of art, or an architectural feature that would benefit from being highlighted. The eye is always drawn to the brightest point, so focus is created by highlighting whatever you want to be a feature, the eye will naturally follow these "focal points" of light.

When creating a lighting plan for a room, color focal points yellow; if there is "too much yellow," there are too many focal points, and you’ll need to be more selective to create impact. Lighting that is subtle and selective is often far more effective than too much.

Creating focus is about experimenting with contrast. If something is lit more strongly than its surroundings, then it will stand out; if the surroundings are dark, it will stand out even more. To create focus, it is important to understand how the general lighting in the space is created; whether by table lamps, pendants, recessed downlights, uplights, or any number of combinations.

The overall lighting needs to be controlled separately from the effects that create focus, so that these stand out when the general lighting is dimmed. Other key points to bear in mind is that the object or feature being lit must be the brightest point, and the light source must be shielded - if not, the light source becomes the brightest point that draws the eye, and not the intended feature