These 20 Homes With Arched Doorways Are Way Ahead of the Curve

Arches date back to ancient days, but they can add refined elegance to any space—no matter the room, style, or era.

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Whether gothic, foiled, or rounded, arched doorways always make a statement. Below, we’ve rounded up 20 striking projects that highlight the decorative power of the arch.

1. Arches, Curves, and a Spiral Staircase Define a Sculptural Australian Home

The Glebe House by Chenchow Little architects is defined by its arched details and wedge-like form.  

Photo by Peter Bennetts

2. Arched Doorways Connect a Restored Italian Home

The acclaimed Italian designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba carved a serene retreat out of a 17th-century oil mill in Salento. 

Photo: Francesco Bolis

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3. An Old Cave Dwelling in Central China Is Transformed Into a Stylish Arched Home

The main entrance was transformed with a wooden grid and a glass curtain wall, allowing ample natural light to enter the space.

Photo by hyperSity

4.A Large Arched Door Modernizes an Ancient Trullo

Understated decor and a well-considered material palette preserves the striking features of an original trullo in Puglia, Italy, while bringing a rugged yet stylish utilitarianism to the property.  

Photo courtesy fo Boutique Homes

5. A Rainbow of Colorful Arches Brightens Up a Live/Work Home in Japan

At the entrance, a meeting space can be converted into a gallery showcasing the studio’s lighting collection. Playful hexagonal windows separate the meeting area from the workspace, and a chunky pink structural arch leads to a display and storage niche.

Photo by Kei Sugino

6. A Modern, Industrial Home Hides Inside This Traditional Tuscan Villa

Behind this villa’s classic Tuscan facade lies a cool, monochromatic vacation home.

Photo courtesy of Kristian Septimus Krogh

7. Concrete Arches Shroud a Minimalist Forever Home in a Melbourne Suburb

The recently completed home—dubbed the Hawthorn House—was created for a couple who asked Edition Office directors Kim Bridgland and Aaron Roberts to apply rural design sensibilities to a more suburban context.

Photo by Ben Hosking

8. An Arch-Filled Greek Island Villa Rises Among the Ruins of a 14th-Century Castle

Resting along the crest of a volcanic crater on the little-known island of Nisyros in the Aegean Sea, Villa Nemésis marries the mystique of ancient Greece with modern design. 

Photo courtesy of Le Collectionist

9. A Compact House in Japan Boasts Dynamic Arches and Lush Courtyards

Lime plaster walls lend rich texture to the interior, absorbing and reflecting sunlight that pours in through an archway that frames the front courtyard.

Photo by Yasunori Shimomura

10. A Couple Imbue an Old Home with Art Deco–Inspired Touches

A designer and her partner drywalled and plastered an arched motif in the main living area. The curved walls create separation between the open living spaces.

Photo courtesy of britdotdesign

11. Strategically Placed Arches Help a 200-Room Hotel Evoke a Sense of Buoyancy

In the light-flooded lobby of Sister City, mismatched chairs huddle around a wooden table, and an arched doorway is anchored by a slatted wall. White brick, open metal shelving, and a speckled tile floor complete the space.

Photo: Adrian Gaut

12. An Arch-Filled Home in Japan Encourages Play and Exploration 

In Kobe, Japan, exposed timber trusses and arched thresholds work together to create a dwelling that’s cheerful and full of whimsy.

Photo by Shigeo Ogawa

13. Arched Doors Help Make This Wes Anderson-Inspired Cafe in China Majorly Instagrammable

Drawing on Wes Anderson’s distinctive visual style and Melbourne’s cafe culture, an Australian studio takes a fresh approach to a new cafe in Chengdu.

Photo by James Morgan

14. A Barrel-Vaulted Brick Addition Makes This English Home Feel Unexpectedly Airy

Although the exterior material connects the new addition back to the house, it distinguishes itself in form with an arched, load-bearing roof. The high ceilings allow light into the new kitchen, dining, and work spaces.

Photo by 24mm Photography

15. A Jazz-Age Classic in Florida Gets an Ovation-Worthy Revamp

An architect couple restored this Art Deco gem, gently modernizing it for work and family life. 

Photo: Seamus Payne

16. An Old, Cave-Like Dwelling Is Reimagined Into an Alluring, Minimalist Home 

Aside from the main entrance, there are no doors in the house. Instead, arched thresholds indicate the end of one area and the beginning of another.   

Photo courtesy of Amit Geron

17. A Winning Renovation Takes Cues From 1930s Cruise Ship Design 

With its stucco facade and steel-framed, arched windows, Plaster Fun House is an architectural anomaly amidst the cottages and 1960s brick residences of Torrensville in South Australia.

Photo by Tash McCammon

18. An Open-Air Tech Office Embodies a Brilliant Mishmash of Styles

Arches and gates criss-cross this 13,100-square-foot office, which is located in two historic buildings in Wroclaw, Poland, right across the street from the city’s Opera House. 

19. This Hollywood Hideout Boasts Character-Defining Arched Openings

Curved walls were the source of inspiration for the custom, undulating, 22-foot-long sofa, clad in blue velvet, which acts as a plush focal point in the space. Its blue tone contrasts with the crisp, white walls in a modern take on the typical blue and white color palette of the Greek isles.

Photo by Madeline Tolle

20. A Revamped Apartment in an 18th-Century Sicilian Building Pays Homage to the Sea

Architecture and design studio LYGA used an intense blue-green paint for the arched threshold in the main living area to create chromatic richness and a romantic mood.

Photo courtesy Giovanni Costagliola

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