IMO, a better investment when it comes to re-sale and having an updated home would be hardwood flooring and only closing the arch and accoutrements right of the fireplace. Have the area pre-wired for TV so you get a dual focal point there.

I think they add a lot of character to the place! It would be a ton of work, mess, and $$$ to get them all made angular instead.

you bought the house, yes? is this the only thing you don't like? are you doing any other renovating? I ask, because changing out 20 of these to squared openings will cost a boat load of money since the entire house will need to be painted afterward. redoing them means cutting, new drywall, texturing, priming, painting, etc.

The arches are nice and give an otherwise tract home some character.

what I would do is close off the arched niche next to the fireplace. just drywall over the entire thing. you can hang your tv on that wall. Or, you could do a nice (squared off) built in book case w/a spot for a tv.

as for the rest of the home, since it seems like every doorway is like that, just leave it. It's not bad looking. Concentrate on the flooring, the staircase, the railing on the second floor, the out of date lighting /ceiling fans, and I'm sure the kitchen. Those would take priority over any of those doorways.

Move.

Your best bet would have been to get a contractor and painter there before you bought the house. We must assume the arches were there when you looked at the house and made your offer?

The answer is BOATLOAD. Or double boatload.

The arches are the most interesting things in otherwise run of the mill rooms....until you move your stuff in and decorate and then I’ll guess you will hardly give them a second thought. You notice them so much now because they are the only thing to look at in a sea of beige.

Seems like an odd choice of homes if you don't care for the arches--they appear to be what that home is all about. Just be glad the doorway's with doors aren't arched as you move forward replacing arched doors would be a real $$$ drain!! A bff is struggling trying to get some privacy between a bathroom and a bedroom with arched doorways, so I know this struggle is real. Buyers beware it seems these arches are all the rage in new construction. The GC's solution was a huge chunky BARN DOOR. NIGHTMARE of styles crashing in one room!!

The question is why this house? I do agree the one beside the FP so you can have the TV at proper height for viewing and spend the money on flooring .

There must be other redeeming factors with this house which is why you bought it. But I completely agree with you, that's a lot of arches. It is going to cost a chunk of money to straighten them out but how about you straighten some of them and not all? I'd start with the smaller doorway arches and the arches along your second floor mezzanine. The really wide gently curved arches I find rather nice so I'd leave those. Good luck. Looks like a lovely house with oodles of potential.

They're called interesting architectural features to soften the boxy straight lines of the windows and rooms. (BTW, whoever vacuumed that rug did a disciplined job. )

Not a Pro.

Looks like you have amazing views from the pictures you posted.

The only updates I would do is the staircase railing and add wood floors. I also like squaring out the tv area as posted above by Beth.

It's going to cost more than the trouble it's worth. I wouldn't get rid of any of the arches. They are attractive. If you want to change the vibe of the house new, higher end flooring and a different banister would be where I would start.

We had several drywall arches, and have replaced many with rectangular openings with casework. IMHO it’s one of the easier changes because the structural header sits high and the curved sides are non-structural & relatively easy to knock out under the beam. Same for the arches on built-in bookcases, they were easy to remove and replace with rectangular. No structural, electrical or plumbing work needed/ can be done in 1 day.

Another runner by all appearances.

I'd knock out the windows and replace them with arches too.

agreed with all of the above. the arches are actually quite lovely and replacing the them will be insane. instead, get a good decorator and/or replace the carpet. personally, I'd replace the stair/loft railings and light fixtures too.

The arches would be a selling feature for me. They really add something to rooms, that would be boxy without them. I would repaint and then spend the money you would pay to remove those special features, to replace the carpeting to nice wood floors.

Hi I was reading this post and was wondering what you eventually did with the arches ? I’m getting ready to take out 10 arches in my house, some people feel the arches are pretty and are part of the Spanish architecture of which the genre of these homes were built, i on the other hand feel the arches make the home look and feel heavy, and quite honestly it’s overkill. I’m not an architect but these guys need to go back to school and wake up in new century, last time I checked I live in the United States not Spain … lol