Unlike exterior columns, interior columns can stick out like sore thumbs. Acting like visual barriers, they block clear lines of sight across a room or simply take up space. But if they are structural to the house, columns just have to be accepted as is—or, at least, that’s what you might think.
Good news! You don't have to tolerate an unsightly column again. We talked to designers who have successfully decorated around interior columns whether it's beautifying them or cleverly disguising them at others.
Here, we rounded up their best tips on how to decorate around interior columns to make them feel more cohesive to interior designs.
Design by Planner 5D
Consider making the column a functional element. Evelina Juzėnaitė, a principal interior designer at Planner 5D, did just that by integrating the column into a shelving unit.
“Not only can you hide the column, but shelves can be designed from the columns to the column or wall, or around the column," she says.
Alternatively, you can use your column as a piece of a larger art installation. Juzėnaitė recommends putting sculptures or unique objects of art around or next to the columns.
During one of her projects, she decorated a column with vining plants, making an impromptu plant display that feels akin to art. The greenery of the plants not only hides the column but also heralds in the beauty of nature and breaks up the warm wood tones in the room.
Design by Darlene Molnar LLC
Turn your column into a design moment: highlight it with finishes and materials found elsewhere in the house. Darlene Molnar, the founder and interior designer at Darlene Molnar LLC, recently completed a kitchen that had not one but two interior columns. She coated the middle and most obvious
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