Options for finishing arches with stone
The progenitors of architecture, the ancient Greeks, began to decorate the passages not in the form of a rough square or rectangle, but in a smooth arc. They stubbornly built triumphal arches, decorated with stucco, framed with marble and mosaics, and dedicated these architectural objects to the winners.
Today, arched structures have firmly entered everyday life, as a popular element of interior and exterior design. Pasted with wallpaper or trimmed with plastic, drywall, it looks advantageous, both in work and home premises, and allows you to diversify the look of boring interior passages. The arch serves to separate zones and decorate the walls.
But one of the most popular options for cladding it is stone decoration. Thanks to the wide variety of modern materials and styling techniques, the process takes less time and effort. But the result becomes a real reward for the customer - an aesthetic pleasure for the eyes and a practical household solution for many years.
Decorative rock
One of the most popular ways of decorating portals is finishing with decorative plaster stone. Firstly, its many variations allow you to simulate almost any natural surface. Secondly, it is cheaper than analogues, for example, natural stone. And, thirdly, it is a light decor, therefore it is suitable even for processing thin structures.
Natural
Natural (wild) stone is rarely used for indoor surfaces due to its high cost, significant weight and complexity of processing (hewn slate or travertine is required). However, for outdoor street work, it is the best choice. The stone-lined arch looks great, and the material itself has the highest strength and durability - when using a high-quality solution, it can last for many decades.
Decorative brick
If the goal when decorating an arch is not a stone texture, but an imitation of a brick, then the choice is quite wide. Flat decor is sold in every hardware store, is not expensive and weighs little (the thickness of the bricks is 5-20 mm). The level of masonry is so simple that even a non-professional can handle it. As a result, the opening will be transformed, and a piece of ultra-fashionable loft style will appear in the room.
Imitation stone
But even if the simplest laying of decorative stone / brick seems too long and painful process, there is a simple interior solution - finishing the arch with ceramic tiles and such "flexible" coatings as liquid wallpaper and decorative plaster. The process will take less time and effort, but if done professionally, it will give a pleasant result.
Types of arches
There are several main groups of arches, depending on the form of execution:
Round
In the presence of a large area of the wall, such an arch will expand the boundaries of the room, making it lighter and more "airy".
Semicircular
A traditional type of arch with stone used to decorate and reinforce doorways and other types of aisles.
Rectangular
Usually, this arch differs from the standard opening in large dimensions, allows you to zone the space and looks organically in almost any setting, especially in the spirit of the classics.
Narrow
The ideal solution for a small footprint: it allows you to comfortably design the passage and reinforce it for a long service life.
Trapezoid, angular, curly
- A trapezoidal arch can become one of the key art objects in a geometric interior - with an emphasis on clear lines and angular elements.
- The corner one looks advantageous in a single design concept along with other elements with a clear geometry of shapes.
- The figured design option depends only on the imagination of the performer and is able to transform even the most boring traditional setting.
Decoration ideas and design of stone arches
If you want novelty in a familiar environment or renovation is planned, but there is no clear vision of the picture yet, you should think about the design of the arch. Perhaps she is not enough to look at the home environment from a different angle.
The style, color and shape of the structure can set the general tone for a design project:
- Ragged. Randomness - oddly enough, one of the most popular techniques in the design of premises. An arch, like the rough surface of wood furniture or fireplace stones, doesn't have to be perfect. Giving it a "torn", deliberately sloppy shape and adding the same "wrong" texture of the external material, you can get an excellent result.
- Carved. The boundaries for the design of the arch in this case do not exist, or rather, they are determined by the imagination. Asymmetric images, flowers - any shape is acceptable.
- Backlit. Able to take on the role of one of the central accents of interior lighting.
- With columns. The Roman-style décor with neat stone vaults will organically complement the clear and elegant classic interior.
These are the main types of arches that should not be limited to. The chosen option may not be similar to them, which means that it will become a unique idea for decorating a room: a corridor, a kitchen, etc.
Photo of stone arches in the interior of the rooms
To "revive" the imagination, you can first get acquainted with the completed projects of arches, which will be appropriate in the hallway, hall, kitchen, living room, bedroom, balcony, loggia and even in the bathroom.
Arches are diverse not only in shape and shade, they are also capable of transforming, thanks to the image and lifestyle of the owners of the house. Decorate them with your favorite trinkets or photos to enjoy the informality of the interior.
Color recommendations
When decorating an arch, it is important to pay special attention to the choice of its color, as well as the shade of the finishing material around it.A light palette can be considered ideal, which will turn the element into a lighter, "not crushing" design in the general setting.
This is an important nuance, since the arch is an overhanging object. A dark shade will visually constrain and reduce the space of the room.
Examples of cladding around the arch
The type of facing material around the arched structure should continue the style of interior decoration - the most modern or "antique".
Photo gallery
If, after thought and doubt, the choice still fell on the arrangement of the arch in the room, there are already preferences in shape and shade, a suitable material for decoration has been found, then the decorative element will surely "fit" into the interior and will last for many years.