Are Interior Columns Really a Good Idea?

When it comes to interior decor, it is often our hearts that lead us through thousands of ideas and colors, and styles. But it is our minds that pump the brakes, asking the very logical and important albeit sometimes limiting question, ‘but do you really need this or do you just want it? Be honest.’

With this question comes the thought of whether that crown molding fits in the bathroom… or whether that accent wall goes with the mantelpiece… or whether the interior columns are really a good idea.

Truth be told, columns can be some of the most difficult elements of interior decor to integrate into a space. You don’t want them to be too smack-dab in the middle of a room lest you are unable to work your furniture around the room. 

You don’t want them to be so conspicuous that they completely overshadow everything else, yet they must not be so unnoticeable that they do not make any sense.

The magnificence of well-placed and decorated interior pillars cannot be ignored. They are both an ancient and modern style of decoration. Columns provide a touch of traditional grandeur to even the most modern of decors. 

They serve as a focal point in a room while not detracting from other aspects and would easily make part of amazing accent walls. They communicate to guests that, while the homeowner is aware of what is fashionable, they also value what is both beautiful and timeless.

Interior columns can be specified in either traditional proportions or unique sizes. The architecturally correct column adheres to the proportions of classical architecture shaft, capital, and base; However the custom column can adapt to and complement a wide range of interior spaces and architectural characteristics.

All of this notwithstanding, it is not automatic that interior columns will be applicable in every single space.

How can interior columns make a statement?

What better place to splurge on an ornate Greek column than in a bathroom? Consider a sunken tub beneath a barrel vault ceiling supported in the corners by four Corinthian columns with swirling acanthus leaf capitals. What better way to fool the bather into thinking they're in the ancient Baths of Caracalla? 

Another excellent bathroom design concept is to cover round columns with the same glass tile that is used in the shower stall or on the floor. This out-of-the-ordinary design will undoubtedly impress the guests and make bath time even more invigorating. 

Beyond the bathroom, columns can provide various design benefits to any home or formal environment including;

1. Defining interior spaces.

Load-bearing columns cannot be dismantled because they are an integral part of the building's framework and any modifications could cause serious harm to the structural system. 

Instead, incorporating them into your interior design is a fantastic idea. For example, using that column in the living room that holds up the upper levels of the house as a decorative focal point will transform it from an eye-sore into an alluring centerpiece.

2. Creating storage space for small items.

Shelves can be created in interior pillars. They provide extra space for keeping items depending on the location of the column. If the column is located in the kitchen area, it can be used to keep cooking items like boxes of cereal. 

If in the den, columns can be used to set up a space for books or antique items.

Such a space ensures proper arrangement and convenient placement of items while also achieving an eye-catching set-up. 

3. Raising the level of sophistication and elegance.

Interior pillars can be adorned in various ways so they are a proclamation of class. Different craft ideas can be implemented including using a flat column to hold paintings or photographs. This makes the room charming and a delight to be in. 

If the space is a place of worship, the columns give it a more ethereal feel- Think back to the ancient Roman temples where altars were laid for Jupiter and Juno.

4. Separating sections in an open room.

Engaged columns, also known as attached or applied columns, were popular in the early twentieth century and were widely utilized in Arts & Crafts and Craftsman-style residences. 

They can be used in any contemporary interior as long as the columns match the surrounding architectural style. Today, you can easily fashion an engaged column out of our wide array of half or flat columns.

Engaged columns are frequently an excellent architectural choice since they offer many of the advantages of walls without the constraints. They are, for example, the ideal answer for opening up a floor plan without losing the boundaries and emphasis of a single area. 

By incorporating shafts inside cabinets or bookshelves, we can keep some of the functions of a wall without totally separating one area from another. Similar to the placement of doors in walls, the arrangement of engaged pillars can regulate the flow of traffic through a room while allowing unfettered light to pass through. 

5. Decorating semi-open areas

Semi-open places are crucial in defining one's relationship with nature. Columns in these places frame views to the outside while also defining the boundary between the inside and the outside.

6. Enhancing lighting in a room.

The "transparent wall" generated by engaged columns is a useful approach for introducing light into the inside of a home. Linking the house to the outside in order to improve the light, views, and flow is achievable. You can accomplish this by restructuring the layout of rooms or by opening up the chambers in the back of the house often with the help of pillars. 

So, armed with this information, do you think that interior columns are a good idea? I’d say that it really depends on what you are trying to achieve, the space you are working with and what already exists.

You can artistically position blocks or columns with the goal of creating an aesthetically pleasing design interior. When this inventiveness is carried out with care and shrewdness, the result is absolutely worth the effort.