4 Tips For Decorating The Arch In Your Living Room
Trends are always cyclical and arches – once considered out of style from the 1960s and 70s – are back in style. Arches add architectural interest to a home by using contrasting shapes, says Style By Emily Henderson. The rounded shape adds softness among sharp angles and makes the doorway feel more special. And though they can be an incredible addition to a home, many people are unsure how to decorate the arch in their living room.
Experts suggest not ignoring the arch but rather making it a featured accent in your living room. Drawing attention to this unique character of your home will only enhance the interior design. Whether you prefer a colorful contemporary style or traditional decor, you can incorporate those designs to create an arch that feels customized to your home. These four ideas will help make the arch in your home feel like a centerpiece in your decor.
1. Create a mini accent
For those who like a pop of color or pattern, an arch provides a great opportunity to create a small, unexpected accent. One idea is to paint the underside of an arch with a bright hue. If it's an arched door, however, painting the doorframes will create a fun accent that adds the right amount of contrast from the nearby walls. You can also take the design a step further and extend the paint a few inches around the arch or paint a graphic mural onto the wall around the doorframe or archway. This new trend is ideal for those who like color and especially for anyone who wants color in small accents, reports Home-Dzine.
You can also choose to decorate your arch with wallpaper if you want to add some pattern and texture to the space. Wallpapers are also an older trend that's coming back with a contemporary twist. Busy wallpapers with graphic designs add a fun pop in a small dosage. In contrast, smaller prints and neutral colors will give a subtle hint of style to the space.
2. Add a wood trim
If you have a more traditional style, you'll want to add charm and character back into the space. Wood trim can feel grand and isn't a difficult addition to install and create a featured design in the living room. Use specially designed archway moldings to trim your arch. A heat gun is an essential tool to shape the trim to the shape of the arch and make it look like a built-in feature, per Wish I Had That. The trim can go all the way down and meet the baseboard molding.
Flat trims have a transitional style, embracing the character of older traditional homes and, at the same time, embracing the clean lines popular in modern and contemporary homes. There are also more decorative and ornamental moldings that have a more antique feel to them. You will also have the option of the molding finish. Many modern homes opt to paint the molding white or another neutral color. But it's also a popular option in older homes to have a wood-stained molding.
3. Customize a shelf
You can also make an arch design functional by adding a shelf to it. If the arch is wide enough, a built-in shelf can be added to hold books and decorative objects. Custom shelves like ones added into an arch design can help optimize space by adding storage, per HomeLight. A built-in shelf can also help define the space better, especially if you have a wide-open room.
You only have to take a small portion of the arch to create the shelving unit. Built-in shelves are easy for homeowners to DIY on their own. You can build the shelves on either side of the archway for a more traditional look. But for a design that's more interesting and looks more customized, build the shelves within the arch.
The key to this design is to keep the openness that an archway provides. Allow the shelves to be open, too, so that light shines through and sight lines remain unobstructed.
4. Tile around the arch
Add color and texture to your living room by tiling around your arch. If you're looking for an alternative to adding color and texture to your space, tile can be a great option for your home, according to Marazzi USA. Some tiles can even mimic the patterns of wallpaper while also adding a visual depth to the design. You can add tile to the underside of the arch for a more subtle pop of color and texture. Or frame the archway with tiles for a feature that standout out more.
With a variety of tile shapes, colors, and textures, you can create a truly customized design in your home. However, smaller tiles are often better because they easily mold to the shape of an arch. Brightly colored and patterned tiles can bring a Spanish influence to your decor, while natural stones like travertine feel like a bit of Tuscany. But you can also use sleek, modern tile for a more contemporary touch.