Great Ways to Dress Up Those Necessary Columns
Many homes need a structural column or two, especially in today's open-plan spaces. Here's how to turn them into superstars
Jess McBride
June 4, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home design industry with a lifelong passion for color, pattern, and texture of every "stripe"
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home... More
It’s a common conversation between contractors and homeowners who hope to create an open floor plan by knocking down walls: The architect says an all-important structural column or two must stay, and all parties start to grieve a little for the perfect open space that now feels tainted. If you find yourself in this position, take heart. That column that first looked like an eyesore can be transformed into a feature in its own right with these clever design moves.
1. Greenery. This one works especially well outdoors, though varieties like Hedera helix (English ivy) have also been successfully grown inside. Training your ivy to grow around a column is no different from training it up a fence or a wall. Besides looking stellar, ivy is a novel solution that works quickly to cover the column in no time.
2. Tile. Mosaic tile or even wallpaper with an interesting texture is another way to spiff up your functional columns with a minimal investment of time and money.
3. Brick. The exposed brick walls found in converted warehouse lofts are all the rage in some of America’s hippest cities, and there’s a good reason why. They add an authenticity to decor that feels rooted in tradition and, therefore, timeless. You’re already accustomed to seeing brick in the home as a fireplace surround, but it looks just as cozy as cladding for chunky columns like these.
4. Natural stone. Not a fan of brick’s earthy red tones? Pick a stacked-stone tile in any number of other hues instead for that rustic cabin feel.
5. Gabion. If you are building from scratch, unbound by the limitations of an existing building, the design possibilities abound for addressing needed columns. The gabion here demonstrates how a column can be beautifully integrated with the structure of the home by using the same materials in an interesting way.
6. Slats. These wood-slatted columns tread lightly on this outdoor living space while defining it as an intimate room. The space between the slats gives an impression of lightness, with the steel frame barely perceptible underneath. As a result of careful design, the columns here look as much like deliberate pieces of architecture as structural requirements.
7. Craftsman. Who says indoor columns have to be of uniform thickness? A tapered Craftsman-style column like this one references the past as it supports the beam above it.
8. Steel. Sometimes the way to make peace with columns is to fall in love with the material. Steel posts communicate an industrial theme so effectively that little else is needed. They have a storied charm of their own and serve as a reminder of your building’s history and durability.
But let’s say you already have enough steely hues in your scheme that embracing one more, even if it’s the real deal, is too much to bear. That’s where a trusty paintbrush comes in. In probably 15 minutes or less, you can have a design feature that wasn’t there before.
9. Wood. There are scientists who claim that the human connection to nature is nearly universal and biologically rooted. Our ingrained communion with the natural world makes wood an easy material to embrace. If properly protected and sealed, your timber columns need little else to make them beautiful. In this kitchen, the designer positioned the counter and cabinetry frame in a way that reveals as much of the column as possible, signaling that it’s a design feature worthy of attention.
10. Carved wood. For a unique look, invite a sculptor to carve a totem motif into your columns. Always consult an architect or engineer before sawing into something structural, but if you’re simply looking for a way to inject some extra personality into non-load-bearing decorative columns or run-of-the-mill shelving, bohemian totem poles may be just the ticket.
11. Carved stone. Alternately, you could make like the Greeks and Romans and elect to carve reliefs into your sturdy stone columns for a bit of old-world romance. To keep the columns looking fresh rather than gaudy, minimize the level of decoration elsewhere in the room.
12. Console table. Two posts situated closely together can be transformed into a mod console table with the help of a skilled carpenter. With the two posts roughly centered in the room here, they could easily have been a serious design impediment. Instead, they are an essential element to the overall function of the space.
13. Bookshelves. As long as a column can hold the weight of the floors above it, there’s no rule for the shape it must take. Two thick slabs of wood, concrete, stone or steel can be fitted with shelves to create a chunky bookshelf to show off sculptures, books or treasured objects.
Columns can also be integrated easily with an arch when they need to support a beam. If your engineer mandates that the columns be positioned closer together instead of against the walls, seize this golden opportunity to add some built-in bookshelves between the columns and the wall.
14. TV mount. This one may be a bit more technically complicated, but if you can swing it, mounting your TV to a stray column in the middle of the room might allow you access to different furniture layouts that might not have been possible otherwise, and might well make that ill-placed column feel a little less random.
15. Art display. Besides its potential for being a bookshelf support, a boxy column like this one makes an excellent modernist anchor for sculpture.
16. Wine rack. Bolstering the edge of a banquette, this wine rack makes bottles easy to access for hosts and guests alike.
17. Cabinets. For a highly custom option with the price tag to prove it, integrating cabinets into your columns can afford both structural integrity and attractive storage.
18. Rope. If you are fortunate enough to have original wood columns, there’s probably not much you need to do beyond simply embracing them. If you’re still not convinced, wind some rope around them to create the nautical rusticity of dock pilings. It’s one of the quickest, cheapest, simplest and most DIY-friendly fixes around.
In the event that you have a less-charming post in an inopportune place, covering it entirely with rope will make the entire column feel like a deliberate feature, even in a sleek contemporary space like this one.
More
Classic Design: The Language of Columns
Skinny Columns Hold Their Own
More
Classic Design: The Language of Columns
Skinny Columns Hold Their Own
Related Stories
Bathroom Design
5 Secrets to a Smooth-Running Family Bathroom
Pros say these are the must-have features for creating an efficient shared bathroom
Full Story
Working With Pros
Which Pro Should You Hire for Your Project?
Find out whether you need a contractor, an architect, an interior designer or another professional for the job
Full Story
Bathroom Workbook
How to Remodel a Bathroom
Create a vision, make a budget, choose your style and materials, hire the right pros and get the project done
Full Story
Bathroom Design
How to Prepare for a Bathroom Remodel
By Becky Harris
Ease the disruption of a bathroom renovation with these 10 tips
Full Story
Decorating Guides
15 Ways to Create Separation in an Open Floor Plan
By tidgboutique
Use these pro tips to minimize noise, delineate space and establish personal boundaries in an open layout
Full Story
Kitchen Workbook
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Follow these start-to-finish steps to achieve a successful kitchen remodel
Full Story
Remodeling Guides
How to Survive a Major Remodeling Project
By Eva Byrne
Get expert tips for improving your home while preserving your sanity
Full Story
Working With Pros
10 Questions to Ask Potential Contractors
Ensure the right fit by interviewing general contractors about topics that go beyond the basics
Full Story
Life
9 Secrets to Successfully Remodeling a House Together
By Laura Wheat
Learn how to put your stamp on a project while avoiding unnecessary conflicts
Full Story
Modern Architecture
How to Improve the Comfort of Your Midcentury Modern Home
By Colin Flavin
You can maintain the era’s signature style in your home while improving its thermal performance
Full Story
All beautiful and great ideas. Not wanting to sound negative, but just think twice about the material you choose if you have a dog that sheds. Dog fur embedded into your column gives a totally different look than the one you think you're getting! Most vacuum cleaners are unable to cope with round columns.
I have also seen a round banquette created around a column with living room seating to one side and the dining table to the other side.
All absolutely awful, my opinion only, and have no idea what to do with our structural beam