Outside of the Welcome mat sitting at the front entrance to your home, nothing declares
“Please come in” more emphatic than an arched door with some shrubs in front. Yet, arched doors are much more than warm and fuzzy home features that generate an inviting ambiance. You can install an arch design element just about anywhere in your home, from the entrance of one or more bedrooms to the gateway to the great outdoors.
Even better, the arch design of doors can produce inspiration to take the home décor concept to other items that are expertly placed inside your home.
A Brief History of Arched Doors
Arched doors represent one of the oldest styles of doors. Although not used to greet cave dwellers during the Neanderthal Era, arched doors go back centuries in homes, as well as many commercial properties. Romans used arched doors in cities located across the empire. Arched doorways even had a home in the coliseums that attracted visitors from across the European continent.
After the fall of the Roman empire, arch-designed doors migrated throughout Europe during the medieval era, especially during the Gothic period when arched doors became accepted décor elements for commercial structures. The Tudors eventually refined the design of arched doors to give us a raw prototype that still carries on aesthetically in the modern world.
Styles of Homes Where Arched Doors Work Well Aesthetically
Despite their majestic aura and seemingly unlimited ornate possibilities, arched doors have a limitation as to where you should install them. In other words, you cannot bring a room to life visually by just slapping an arched door onto a set of glistening hinges. Although an arched door appears to blend in flawlessly with just about any type of construction scheme, the fact remains that the doors work best with the following types of architectural concepts.
· Tudor
· Tuscan
· Mission
· Victorian
· Old World
· French Country
If you are not sure if an arched door is a good idea for your home, research different styles of arched doors online to determine if incorporating such a door is a good décor idea for your home. You can also consult with an experienced home designer who has installed arched doors for previous clients.
Options for Arched Doors
You have several design options for installing a door that presents a beautiful symmetrical arch design. One of the keys to selecting the right type of arch design involves the size of the curve. Just a few door manufacturers customize the design of arched doors to meet the specifications of customers; one of these is ETO Doors. You can install a door that includes glass panels or go strictly with all varnished wood. Glass-panel doors with arches do a great job at reflecting both natural and artificial light.
Raised panels are another option that creates a multi-layer effect that reminds you of three-dimensional artistry. The type of wood you choose for an arched door should blend seamlessly with the design theme of the room where you plan to install one or more doors. Some of the best types of wood for arched doors include pine, cherry, and hard maple.
How to Get the Arched Door Design Effect in a Room
Installing an arched door is not the only way to get the aesthetically appealing feature of a symmetrical curve inside your home. However, it is a good place to start when you are ready to welcome your guests with an inviting arched presentation.
Work with the Arches Already in Your Home
If you are fortunate to have at least one arch as a part of the architecture of your home, you are halfway there to creating a visually dazzling arched door. You can leave the space as an open doorway that does not require you to turn a handle to enter the next room. On the other hand, installing a colorful glass arched door should enhance the beauty of your home.
Create Your Own Arches
When you search for the right home, finding one with built-in arches probably will not be a priority. However, that does not mean you cannot create your own arches once you move into your new home. Innovative decorators such as Tali and The White Arrow have taken the home décor world by storm every time they create arches out of simple rectangular window designs. The home décor pioneers develop arches by using sheetrock or wood framing.
Paint Delivers an Arch Illusion
An innovative, yet simple way to create an arch design for a doorway is to paint a symmetrical curve around a window or a doorway. This approach to arch madness produces an optical illusion that becomes the design focal point of a room. You can also complement the visually appealing feature of an arched door by painting a symmetrical curve over a window located in the same room.
Arched Furniture
For homeowners that love tackling a home décor project, adding furniture that includes an arch design produces the coveted arched appearance, without costing you much money or taking much of your time. Adding a bookcase that curves at the top is a perfect example of how a piece of furniture can bring the arched design element into any room in your home. Beds with arched headboards generate the same visually appealing effect, you can also add a couch without you having to deal with installing a door in an arched passageway.
The Bottom Line
Arched doors have the potential to increase the value of your home. If you have heard the term “curb appeal” that describes how people passing by your home view its appearance, then we have another term for you to describe the attractive effect produced by an arched door.
It’s called “guest appeal.”
