Arches are taking over interior design, from architectural features (think doors, entryways and ceilings) to mirrors, furniture, fireplaces and painted on features. This trend has taken off and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And I love it!

Arches are a design feature that’s soft and inviting. No hard edges, no straight lines. They feel a bit whimsical and fun. So much of architecture and interior design focuses on harder lines – cabinetry, furniture, appliances – so the arch provides a welcome relief and contrast.

I blogged about the trend of curved, softer design earlier this year. In that post, I noted that organic shapes evoke more harmony and warmth. Goodbye rigidity, hello flow! Throughout the year, this trend has really held up. Curved and softer design – including arches – gives off a feeling of coziness. It feels relaxing, soothing, natural and organic. This is a feeling that so many around the world are gravitating toward amidst the difficult year or two we’ve all had. As the world gets harder, we yearn for softness.

Arches are by no means a new trend. From ancient Egypt and Greece to ancient Rome, arches have had a prominent space in architecture for literally thousands of years.

Here’s an interesting tidbit of history from Britannica:

Arches were known in ancient Egypt and Greece but were considered unsuitable for monumental architecture and seldom used. The Romans, by contrast, used the semicircular arch in bridges, aqueducts, and large-scale architecture. In most cases they did not use mortar, relying simply on the precision of their stone dressing. The Arabs popularized the pointed arch, and it was in their mosques that this form first acquired its religious connotations. Medieval Europe made great use of the pointed arch, which constituted a basic element in Gothic architecture. In the late Middle Ages the segmental arch was introduced. This form and the elliptical arch had great value in bridge engineering because they permitted mutual support by a row of arches, carrying the lateral thrust to the abutments at either end of a bridge.

In the modern era, arches are still useful in construction since they’re a pure compression form, and because many building materials, including stone and unreinforced concrete, can resist compression, but are weak when tensile stress is applied to them (source: Wikipedia).

The arch has also made its way into interior design, less for construction practicality and mostly because it’s so visually appealing. This revival of traditional architecture is a fresh way to bring the curved, organic, beautiful aesthetic to modern interiors.

Arches are popping up in doorways and windows (actual archways) but also through decorative patterns and décor pieces. Arched mirrors, curved furniture, rounded fireplaces and painted-on arches are everywhere, and I just think they’re so beautiful!

What are your thoughts on arches? Do you think this is a passing trend or a design choice that’s here to stay? Love them? Hate them? Connect with me on Instagram or Facebook, and let me know!