Brighter And some

This surprising 80s twist is making a comeback in home design

by Kate Watt, Marketing Manager 31 August 2023

In a design curveball, a surprising feature is making a comeback in Brisbane home design.

The once-loved, then-loathed archway has re-emerged as part of a Mediterranean design craze sweeping the south east.

You’ll have seen archways in your parents’ or grandparents’ houses. They were filled with archways along outside patios or – gasp – archways curved into dark, exposed brick interiors.

As Domain accurately reports, renovators have spent thousands ripping out archways. Rarely has an archway survived on a home makeover show over the past decade.

But along with mullets and facial hair, it seems that archways are also part of the 80s resurgence sweeping through Brissie.

“We’re back to the ’80s,” Corey Stone, owner of Brisbane-based CHS Building told Domain.

“Curves are definitely a big thing now and we’ve got four jobs with arched doorways right now.

“Everyone is going for this Mediterranean vibe.”

So how do you make an archway work for you? We’re not architects but some of us lived through the first archway craze, so here are some tips from lived experience:

  • Put your curves where the sun shines. An arched entry lets in less light than a squared off edge, so plan for light and shade.
  • Go wide. Narrow archways are just, well, a bit too 80s for our liking. Wide spans are likely to be better suited to contemporary open plan living.
  • Bring back curves if you must, but leave dark exposed brick interiors back in the 80s where they belong. Why? If you need to ask why, you didn’t live through the 80s.

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