2021 ᐈ

Do you want to add notes of sublimity, spirituality, and aristocracy to your interior? Complete the interior decoration with columns. The result will surprise and delight you. Once you use columns at home, you will never want to part with them again. What functions does this interior element perform? In what styles is it used? What is it made of? Is it possible to use columns in small apartments? How can you “hide” a load-bearing column? An ambiguous design element raises many questions. The attitude towards columns in the interior as elements of only a palace style is becoming a thing of the past. Their use in home, office and public spaces is becoming increasingly widespread. And for good reason. Columns in the interior are worthy of decorating our lives every day.

Functions of columns

Practicality.

Columns made of natural wood or stone can serve as load-bearing structures - supporting floors. Even if they were not present when the house was designed, special permits will not be required if you decide to install them.

Zoning.

Studios, large halls and ordinary rooms can be zoned using such architectural forms. At the same time, they will visually increase the height of the ceiling, making the room spacious.

Attractiveness.

Such designs will bring sophistication, charm to your home and become the highlight of the decor. Luxurious architectural units made from expensive materials will emphasize the status of the home owner.

Indeed, even in ancient times, majestic columns adorned the buildings of governments and influential persons.

Retro

In this case, the finish will be rough, not luxurious. It can be natural stone or imitation, aged wood.

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Practical use

For practical purposes, columns are used only if they really must support the mass of the upper floors.

Moreover, columns can be installed both by builders during the construction of a building and during the redevelopment of rooms.

Additional Information! In this case, the columns in the apartment are deliberately placed to maintain the rigidity of the building.

Aesthetic application

Some interior styles simply require columns to be included in the design. These are antique, Egyptian, classical styles.

Here, a pillar with a special relief can become a decorative element that emphasizes the elegance of the room.

Application for zoning space

In large private houses, columns are often used in the room from which it is planned to make a living room. With their help it is possible to zone the space. For example, in classic interiors it is not customary to make a door between a large spacious hallway and a bright, huge hall.

In this case, it is the concrete pillars, which will be lined in the appropriate style, that will serve as a division of space.

Important! In this case, a group of several columns is used.

In the form of a cabinet or shelves

You can play up the interior if you arrange hidden storage cabinets in the column or, conversely, open shelves for books. It looks very stylish in modern room interiors.

And others

Columns in the interior of an apartment can hide the shortcomings of the room. For this purpose, special false columns are used, which can hide the electrical wiring inside so as not to spoil the aesthetic appearance.

Loft

Clear square and rectangular shapes would be appropriate here. Imitation of brickwork and concrete, rough plaster are suitable for decoration.

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Interior style with columns

Columns in any room are created to focus attention and emphasize the designer’s intent.

With the help of structures, you can advantageously highlight interesting areas of the room. There are several styles that successfully fit columns and add a special flavor to the interior.

Antique style for connoisseurs of splendor

To create antique-style designs, exclusively natural materials are used, embodying sophistication and wealth. There can be not only paired structures, but also entire colonnades made of marble or malachite stone.

However, the monolithic structure is very expensive, so cladding materials are used to make it accessible.

Baroque and Rococo

This is a style that carries a story, focusing on harmony and smooth lines. Baroque columns can be used in the living room, bedroom and bathroom. To make such structures, plasterboard, polyurethane and wood are used.

Classic for business people

It assumes only expensive materials, no asymmetry and bright colors. Columns in this style look great. Often, regular-shaped structures are used, decorated with carvings and pilasters, or, conversely, smooth ones with bas-reliefs on the sides. When constructing such structures, preference is given to natural wood, covered with stain and a thin layer of varnish.

This allows you to highlight the beauty of the natural texture and protect it from moisture.

American style

The peculiarity lies in the open layout, in which the columns serve not only as a decorative element, but also delimit the room. To properly emphasize American-style structures, wood or stone is used to construct them.

All designs must correspond to the general idea and be combined with wall or floor coverings.

Modern

This is a special style that combines romance, luxury and splendor. The French direction implies asymmetrical shapes, smooth curves and lines. Such columns are made of polyurethane, plasterboard and framed with patterns in the form of climbing plants.

This design solution allows you to create a real work of art.

Eclecticism - a skillful combination of styles

This is a modern design direction that opens up many opportunities for creating a unique interior. Eclecticism implies a combination of several directions. For example, baroque and modern, high-tech and oriental style.

The distinctive elements are angularity and clear lines that connect the modern era with past eras. These can be semi-columns or two-level structures that serve as a bar counter.

Ethnic style

Here you can use Provence or country. Ethno suggests the presence of arches complemented by columns on both sides. This solution allows you to achieve perfection in the interior and make the space more spacious and bright.

Art Deco and Art Nouveau

These are two different styles that depict different concepts. Art Deco is characterized by symmetry, sharp and broken lines, Art Nouveau, on the contrary, accepts smooth natural lines.

The combination of stylistic elements in the interior allows you to create a peaceful environment that immerses and captivates with its atmosphere.

Loft

This is an American style that imitates abandoned warehouses or industrial premises. Loft involves the use of only durable materials. Concrete, brick, natural stone or metal are used for this.

The main feature of the columns is their rough texture and natural colors.

They do not need to be covered; it is in this form that they express originality and courage. However, you can place family photos on them or hang a mirror, which will visually expand the area.

Those who prefer to emphasize the uniqueness of their home by using such an interior element as columns know that they symbolize reliability, prosperity, wealth and luxury. With the help of these structures you can correctly place accents and make the room unique.

Era? Style? Direction?

Noble classics

The classic interior with antique columns is based on Greek samples - Doric, Ionic, Corinthian styles. The decoration of the base, body, capitals not only has not changed, moreover, good taste requires strict adherence to Greek ideals.

Antique Greek columns and half-columns are harmoniously combined with modern multi-level ceilings, lighting, and polyurethane stucco molding. Decorating columns with Venetian plaster, marbled painting, and natural stone is widely used by decorative artists. Columns are made from inexpensive materials - polyurethane foam, gypsum, concrete, and then richly painted. This significantly reduces their cost and simplifies installation.

Modern designers especially liked the combination of two or more columns connected by an arched bend. Arches, in order to reduce the cost and lighten the structure, are made of plasterboard. The same style includes rectangular wooden columns, decorated with expensive types of wood in the style of an English office or a Russian mansion, together with wooden panels on the walls.

Mysterious east

Impressive colonnades connected by arches are an integral element of oriental architecture. In contrast to classical restraint, the body of the eastern column is richly decorated with mosaics, ornaments, and bright colors.

Arched curves are emphasized by additional lines and are also richly and brightly lined. Architectural ensembles with columns in oriental interiors are complemented by fabric draperies, carpets, and stained glass windows.

Modern interior trends

Minimalist style, hi-tech, loft – the columns have not been spared. These styles require large free space and significant height. The columns here act as floor supports. Most often, these are simple pillars, finished in accordance with the style of the room - metal (silver, nickel, chrome, copper), clinker “looking like aged brick,” concrete with traces of formwork. The latest trend is the use of lighting in glass columns with bubbles.

Country styles

In the good old Provence, Russian rustic style, and other ethnic styles, wood and rough natural stone are preferred for decorating columns. Columns can be entirely wooden, and “stone” finishing on various bases (concrete, polyurethane foam, plasterboard, false column) is done with materials that imitate stone.

Using half-columns, columns, decorate them based on the style of the entire room, and any, even the simplest stand, will become a “highlight”.

Materials for columns

If several centuries ago marble, granite and other natural stones were used to make columns, today they are practically not used. The reason was the high price of the material and possible problems during subsequent processing.

Stone structures are found in cultural and historical buildings, while other materials are used for the construction of residential buildings.

Reinforced concrete

Reinforced concrete columns in a modern interior can be presented in various designs: round, rectangular, square. They are made on site using molds, during the construction of a building or in a concrete production plant, after which they are delivered and installed using special equipment.

Such structures can remain almost in their original form.

A thin layer of putty hides all the defects of the product, turning it into a full-fledged decorative element, which can only be painted or processed in another way.

Natural wood

Wood in the design of columns can be the main material from which they are made or used as a cladding material. These include ordinary retaining posts and beams.

Decoration depends on the style of the room in which these columns are used.

In ethnic styles (rustic, Provence, chalet) coloring is allowed; a similar condition applies to modern loft and minimalism. In a classic or other artsy style, wooden columns are decorated with additional decor.

Other finishing materials

A fairly broad category, united due to the fact that all the materials included here are not self-supporting and cannot be used as the main material from which columns are made. They are used only for decorative purposes. The most popular are:

Gypsum stone. It is made from water, gypsum, sand, additives and plasticizers. The final composition may vary depending on the manufacturer. It is used in a variety of forms: imitation of artificial or natural stone, stucco molding, antique patterns, tiles, plaster compositions.

The main advantage of the material is complete safety for humans, a high coefficient of vapor permeability, and a simple application method. In most cases, finished elements are glued to the surface of the column in the prescribed order.

Polyurethane foam. Porous, gas-filled polymer with a durable front surface. It is made in the form of full-fledged wall panels or decorative elements (wall planks, cornices, sandriks, columns, half-columns).

The main advantage of polyurethane foam is its low weight, the disadvantage is that it is manufactured according to standard forms.

If the column in the interior of the room has a non-standard shape, the elements will have to be trimmed, which may affect their aesthetics. Otherwise, turn to plaster decor.

Extruded polystyrene foam (foam). Outwardly similar to polyurethane foam, but differs in a number of characteristics. Less durable, since it does not have a protective decorative surface, the cellular structure is prone to destruction under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, is more susceptible to fire, and during the combustion process it emits gas that is poisonous to humans.

It is also sold in the form of ready-made decorative elements that are glued to the base of the column.

Healthy! Due to low resistance to mechanical damage, decorative columns are not completely made of polystyrene foam. It is best to line the lower part with a different, more durable material.

Plaster. The decorative multi-layer plastered surface creates the impression of a three-dimensional image, the sophistication of which will depend on your imagination. With its help, you can recreate not just a magnificent interior, but a real work of art.

The most popular application is Venetian plaster.

Mosaic. The variety of varieties makes it one of the most popular options for decorating columns. To do this, you do not need to buy variations with a pixel size (one cell) of 1x1 cm. You can use flexible types, where the pattern is fixed on a fabric or paper base.

In this case, all you need is to cut the elements to a suitable size and glue them to the column with mounting glue.

Drywall. GCR is a unique material, the shape of which can be changed depending on need. A column finished with such sheets can be rectangular, square, round, or have any other shape.

After priming and puttying, it is finished in one of the necessary ways: plastered, lined with wall panels, gypsum, polyurethane, polystyrene foam, mosaic, painted.

The advantage and, at the same time, disadvantage of the material lies in the need to construct a lathing onto which the drywall is fixed. On the one hand, this can be regarded as extra work and a reduction in the area of the room, on the other hand, it is easy to hide communications inside: electrical wiring, ventilation pipes.

Healthy! It should be taken into account that thick columns in the interior visually reduce the space of the room, but create the impression of confidence and reliability of the structure. Thin ones will add elegance, expand, and visually increase the height of the ceiling.

Support or decorative element

Ancient architects were extremely skilled in the use of columns. They created magnificent grandiose colonnades of temples, public buildings, houses of the nobility, and royal apartments. Perhaps that is why for several thousand years the history of architecture has considered columns as interior and exterior elements of luxury and power.

Here lies not only a status rank, but also the meaning of self-perception, self-esteem of the owner of the house. Try standing next to some grandiose column, for example, the Winter Palace, or walking along the colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

What does it feel like? The feelings are contradictory. On the one hand, grandeur and massiveness are overwhelming. But on the other hand, if you merge with this element, get used to it, on the contrary, they give you confidence and allow you to rise above the vanity.

Returning to the art of the ancients, it is amazing how they were able to combine the functionality of columns with decorativeness. The most powerful pillars supported the stone ceilings, and at the same time they represented real works of art in themselves. Columns are an exclusive gift from ancient architects to modern designers.

A column in a modern interior performs the following functions:

load-bearing support;
decorative element;
zoning of space;
hiding communications (cables, pipes);
storage systems (niches, cabinets).

A classical column consists of three main parts - the base, the body and the capital. The base is the base of the column; when used as a support, the base carries a significant load. The body is a pillar connecting the top and bottom. The capital is the upper part, in the classic version richly decorated.

Features of modern construction include the use of columns as supports. These are, as a rule, powerful reinforced concrete or metal structures that support huge floor areas. As a decorative element, columns are in demand by owners of country mansions and luxury apartments.

Richly decorated columns look best in rooms with a high ceiling height - from 290 cm and above.

With the advent of lightweight polyurethane foam products, the use of columns as decorative design details has become possible in high-rise buildings and small apartments. Any column, even one standing alone, “fragments” the surrounding space. Compositions of two or three columns are convenient for demarcating a room, highlighting individual parts, while maintaining a sense of integrity.

Colonnades with a large number of elements are almost never used by modern architects unless the design of the entire building requires it. Comfort and a high level of quality of life require the laying of a large number of communications running through all floors of buildings. Hiding cables and pipes inside the column is an original, sometimes the only acceptable design solution.

Equipping columns with niches and storage systems is another interesting technique. Often it is caused by the need to hide a load-bearing pillar, but with good design it is used as a decorative, zoning, functional element. Based on the shape of the body, the following types of columns can be distinguished:

round;
oval;
square;
rectangular;
polygonal.

Considering columns as a decorative detail, it is worth including half-columns here. Semi-columns do not carry a supporting load. They are attached to the wall, performing decorating and zoning functions, while preserving all the aesthetic decorativeness inherent in entire columns. Low columns from 80cm and higher complement the interior in an original way. They are used as tables, stands for vases, sculptures, bowls.

Advantages and disadvantages of columns in the interior

The main disadvantage of a column in the interior is that it “steals” free space. Another one concerns the need to take care of its fit into the interior of the room, which requires additional effort from both a physical and material point of view. This is where the disadvantages that it can create for the owner of the premises end.

As for the decorative benefits, there are many more. They lie in the ways of “playing around” a given architectural element.

Art Deco

A style that combines features of baroque and antiquity, sometimes modern. The shape of the columns must be strict and the lines must be clear.

In the upper and lower parts they can be decorated with gypsum stucco (gypsum will successfully replace polyurethane). If we talk about color, white, the classic version, is preferable.

Disguise

This technique will help when the columns in the interior of the room occupy an inappropriate place, that is, it cannot be used for another purpose (dividing the space, displaying it as an elegant element that emphasizes the stylistic direction, using it for another purpose). In this case, there is only one way out - to make it as less noticeable as possible against the general background. There can be several methods for this:

Lined with mirrors, it will blend in with the rest of the interior and will not be so conspicuous.
Finish with the material used for the walls.
Hide behind a curtain, curtain, screen. This can be easily accomplished by choosing a volumetric material suitable for the interior.

Advice! The technique is most often used to “hide” one column. Carrying out a similar procedure with two or more can be problematic.

Zoning

If positioned well, a decorative column can be used as a space delimiter into zones with different functional characteristics. This method will have an additional number of advantages , which were already mentioned earlier:

The columns do not obstruct the light coming from the windows.
They do not occupy free space in the room.
They free the space from the clutter of partitions, making it more spacious and bright.

Accenting

Use as a decorative element is an excellent option for how to use columns in the interior. There are many ways to implement your plans. The basic rule is to choose the right material and method of cladding that blends favorably with the rest of the room’s design.

One of the options for executing the plan could be decor using finishing materials and attracting attention with the help of artificial lighting.

For example, install a lamp at the bottom or top of the element. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that the light saturation should not be excessive. It is not necessary to illuminate the entire surface of the column; it is enough to direct the beam at one of the protruding faces.

This technique is beneficial regardless of its shape, rectangular or rounded.

Practical use

In addition to aesthetic functions, decorative columns can also play a practical role. In particular, they are easy to adapt to specific needs, combining beauty and style with needs. There are many options for execution. Let's look at a few of the most popular solutions:

Use it as a place to place the TV.
Organize a magnetic or slate board on it, which will be useful to every family member, and especially children.
When the column is located next to the wall, away from the passage area, it can be used to easily fix the hammock. This method will turn this area of the room into a full-fledged place to relax.

In a similar way, you can use it as one of the points for supporting the fastening of other built-in furniture (kitchen island, bar counter, dining table).

Arrange a plasterboard structure around it and make niches for storing books, photo frames and other decorative elements.

Important! The need to construct support columns most often arises during the construction of a large country cottage. In this case, you can take care of the location problem in advance and build the project in such a way as to use them profitably in the future.

Interesting design ideas

In order for the column to successfully blend into the setting, becoming part of the whole picture, sometimes creative solutions are needed

current technique is a combination of rough stone finishing with soft materials;
columns installed nearby can easily be converted into a homemade shelving unit;
using columns, you can create a niche to place a TV or music center;
with properly equipped lighting, you can highlight a decorative niche inside where a painting, antique dishes or sculpture will be located;
You can delimit the space even more effectively by placing a cabinet or rack between the columns.

Use your imagination to use this interior detail as profitably as possible. Modern possibilities allow you to decorate your home based on any taste preferences.

Suitable materials for making columns

Traditionally, column elements were cut out of stone - marble, granite, travertine. Local stone was used from nearby deposits, because heavy stone blocks are difficult to transport over long distances.

The body of the column was assembled from several parts, the seams between them were tightly rubbed, the column looked monolithic.

Nowadays, decorative columns are almost never made from natural stone due to the high cost and labor-intensive manufacturing process.

For solid structures that can withstand heavy weight, concrete . The prepared formwork is poured with sand-cement mortar, left until it hardens, then the formwork is removed. Monolithic columns are made directly on site simultaneously with the construction of the building.

For wooden buildings, elements made from solid logs are convenient and natural, although here you can also use a concrete structure followed by wood finishing.

Another “solid” material is gypsum , gypsum columns, heavy and quite expensive, they can be ordered by craftsmen who make gypsum stucco molding.
Metal is suitable for minimalist interiors, it is quite heavy, and “noble” metal (chrome, nickel) is not cheap.

The most democratic option is polyurethane foam . This is a lightweight plastic material, easy to cut with a simple hacksaw, and glues well with special compounds or “liquid nails” type glue.

Manufacturers of polyurethane foam decorative products offer a huge selection of ready-made columns, separate bases, and capitals. You can select all parts of the column separately, then arrange them to your liking.

Columns made of this material must be painted, otherwise the element will “fall out” of the interior style.

An economical option for materials for the column is polystyrene foam and drywall.

Products made from polystyrene foam have the same characteristics as those made from polyurethane foam, but are less dense and durable. They can be purchased ready-made.

Plasterboard columns are made on site. It’s very easy to make round, square, rectangular elements, complement them with arches, niches, and shelves. Drywall is a universal material that allows you to create the most unexpected designs.

The surface of the drywall is puttied, and any finishing material is applied to the putty - paint, liquid wallpaper, Venetian plaster.

Columns and half-columns made of polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, and plasterboard are relevant for the interiors of high-rise multi-story buildings and small apartments. They allow you to preserve the decorative nature of these architectural elements, eliminating the weight and massiveness of natural, concrete, and plaster analogues.

High tech

This style requires unexpected and original ideas. For example, futuristic ones: illuminated glass columns that are filled with liquid with air bubbles moving upward.

The main recommendations are to use metal, create shiny surfaces that reflect light.

Foam peacock

An interesting option would be to create a peacock’s body from a voluminous piece of foam, and a beautiful and elegant tail from a flat one. We make these parts separately from each other, and at the end we connect them with glue, cover them with putty and create our own color scheme. A necessary addition is layers of varnish.

When you are making a very large bird figure, the most important thing is to prepare the frame of the figure, filled with polyurethane foam.

Only the simplest ideas for DIY foam plastic crafts were considered; there are a lot of them. Your imagination will help make the process fun and productive, and you will be able to relax.

Material such as polystyrene foam is only an environmentally friendly product, which is why children can work with it. It will be surprising and educational for them; you can make a lot of educational games for them.

Since ancient times, people have been decorating their homes - some spend fabulous sums on it, others use scrap materials. In matters of decoration, the price-quality ratio, attractive appearance, durability, and complexity of installation are taken into account. A variety of foam decor is low in price, looks good, has a wide range of applications, and many elements are easy to make with your own hands.

How to make a capital with your own hands. Why use gypsum board?

Of course, the column can be made of other materials. However, not everyone can afford marble, wood, malachite or granite. And in most interiors they will look out of place - unless you have decorated other furnishings with this material. At the same time, such a popular building material today provides many advantages.

Drywall is inexpensive and accessible to everyone. The material is light and practically does not change the load on the floor slab, which is especially important for high-rise buildings. A column of plasterboard sheets can be made with your own hands, quite easily and without any special specialized knowledge. Any decor and shape of such columns is acceptable, due to which they easily fit into any interior.

And when you consider how quickly and cleanly a gypsum column is erected compared to other materials, it becomes clear that this is the ideal solution.

Due to the “flexibility” of the material, it can be used to make cladding for communications of any appearance. However, for the most part, saving useful space in the apartment, people resort to two options for how to make a column with their own hands:

rectangular (a special case - square) section. Such designs often have built-in niches and shelves in order to diversify the interior and increase the usefulness of the constructed column;
radius structures, most often having a circle or its segment in cross-section. Such columns look softer, and in a corner design they take up less space.

In this article we will look at how to make a plasterboard column of a round shape, since a rectangular one, according to the principle of construction, is no different from the construction of a niche, box or any other similar structure.