Home Improvement Ideas - Architectural Arches

"arch: A curved structural member spanning an opening or recess. The wedge shaped elements that make up an arch keep one another in palce and transform the vertical pressure of the structure above into lateral pressure.

Parts of an arch: haunch, keystone, springer, voussoir. Related architectural elements: arcade, cusp, hood moulding, spandrel, tympanum. Types of Arches: depressed, horseshoe, intersecting, round, ogee or ogive. See also: blind arch, relieving arch, transverse arch, triumphal arch."

These french doors add to the charm with the arched top. And the wood molding contrasts nicely with the white walls.

Gorgeous Bathroom Made Even More Charming

A classic white bathroom is made glamorous with the arched white french doors and the arched mirror. Note how this room flows and the arches are mimicked throughout including the recessed wall that once again mimics the graceful arch.

"All experience is an arch where through gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades for ever and for ever when I move."
~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing: it comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur.
~Henry Miller

One of the comments that people always make when they walk through a home is the care taken for the arched doorway.

Modern homes today are often built for the sake of efficiency. Sadly, the arched doorway is simply one place to cut costs. But this cut in the budget dramatically reduces the charm of the home.

The two examples to the right go from better to pure indulgence. The extended hallway with the high arches and the elaborate molding in combination with wide berth walls lends an air of not just charm but of majesty. Of course, this space is further enriched with the flood of natural light and the marble floors not to mention the superb repetition of the same hanging iron chandelier.

As if this space - perhaps an elaborate hallway were not already charming, you will note that the architect took the design one step further by arching the stair way.

The wood stairway treads being gracefully arched in a deep and contrasting wood tone completes the architectural statement of the graceful arches throughout.

The curves in this room are complemented by the extensive straight edges of the crown molding. Furthermore, the simplicity of the neutral walls combined with the neutral floor serve to subtly highlight the rich architectural details throughout.

Like the white bathroom above, the richness of the molding and extensive details are elegantly conveyed when the color palette remains understated.

Interesting, the theater first appears to have extensively considered the arch. Essentially, a proscenium arch in a theater creates a "window" around the scenery and performers. The arch door way in a home serves also to craft a "window" or a new interior view. The flat wall and the square corners of the wall are softened and the architecture then serves to greet you with a comfortable hug rather than the straight edge of the modern day square door ways.

You say to a brick, 'What do you want, brick?' And brick says to you, 'I like an arch.' And you say to brick, 'Look, I want one, too, but arches are expensive and I can use a concrete lintel.' And then you say: 'What do you think of that, brick?' Brick says: 'I like an arch.'
~Louis Kahn

Whether you are building or remodeling, do consider adding some arches to your new décor. These little details are more expensive but over time they serve to add the charm that makes a house a home.

I'd love to hear your experiences. Do you notice the arches or do you just know you "like" the room. Do you carefully take in the architectural pieces when you find a room that exudes the feel you are seeking to achieve? Have you ever before considered arches? If not, will you consider adding some arches to your next home improvement project?