Modern renovation The 21st century is not complete without decorative elements. Different styles that have come to our days from bygone years, coupled with modern building materials, create extraordinary decor elements. Accents, visual effects, room zoning and minimal interior style - these new trends are used in almost every second new building.
Columns in the interior of a modern home are considered a sign of good taste and high material status of the owner of the house.
Everything modern originates from the past. Now fashion trend is eclectic, that is, a combination of several styles in one apartment. It is always interesting to see how two stylistic movements of different origins and eras coexist with the same owners for 40 square meters. For example, modern eco style together with the French Empire style, with its luxurious columns, or classic with bionics. Impossible? No matter how. From this article you will learn the intricacies of the harmonious combination of several styles using such elements. decorative finishes like column and pilaster.
The very first mention of the column dates back to the 27th century BC in Egypt. A local architect (architect) named Imhotep erected a tomb for the then pharaoh. The tomb was crowned with a colonnade of 40 columns made of alabaster. The height of each of them was about 10 meters. This object is called the Pyramid of Djoser. The building has been preserved to this day.
Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser - the very first in Egypt
Examples of Egyptian style columns
Columns in the interior
Most often, columns are erected on architectural monuments, some city buildings, museums, as well as in private homes of wealthy people. These are heavy, massive elements, reaching incredible sizes, made of brick, polished natural stone or marble. Also, columns and semi-columns can be found in the interior country cottages. These elements are being erected indoors, of course, not large sizes and lightweight materials.
What materials are used:
- Drywall. This material is very convenient to use due to its versatility, availability and relative cheapness per unit. The advantage when using it is the ability to give the sheet almost any shape.
Plasterboard column lined with natural stone
- Wood. Undoubtedly, the tree rightfully occupies the first place in its beauty in the use of colonnades. Its structure is mesmerizing. From the wood breathes the nature and freshness of nature.
Wooden columns in a classic interior
- Metal. Perfect for hi-tech. Metallic reflections will be, like nowhere else, by the way, in a minimal style. It all depends on the color of the surface. Also, in addition to the decorative function, a steel column can carry a large longitudinal load.
Stylish and useful - steel columns serve as a support for the second floor
- Concrete. Usually concrete columns are designed purely for the functional support of partitions, slabs or other structural elements houses and apartments. In addition, raw concrete is successfully combined with the loft style, so this material is also widely used.
Concrete column lined with mosaic tiles
- Brick. As well as concrete, it goes well with the loft. In addition, red brick columns can be used in the style of Minimalism, to give an accent to the room.
Harmonious combination of brick columns with natural wood
- Natural stone (marble). The most beautiful colonnades are made of different types of stone. In an interior design with columns, stone is suitable for small elements. These can be semi-columns near walls and passages, or low columns, free-standing and used in the overall composition of the room. A significant disadvantage of this material is its heavy weight and high cost.
Marble columns in the interior of the bathroom
- Polyurethane. The most successful material that combines several advantages over the rest. Due to its lightness and strength, it is widely used in the manufacture of decorative interior elements, including columns. The latter are released in finished form. The kit comes with fasteners.
Decorative polyurethane columns
Combined options for building a column in the interior of the house are also possible. Metal goes well with wood and stone.
In some cases, the need to build a column is communications, engineering networks, banal wall irregularities and defects in repair. In addition, when creating a studio apartment, when it is not possible to completely remove the wall, the colonnade becomes a way out of the situation. In any case, the opportunity to make such a variety in the design of the apartment will not leave indifferent any true connoisseur of art.
Column elements
In general, the column consists of three main elements:
- The base (base) of the column. The supporting part, on which the entire load goes.
- The long part of the column, called the body, trunk or fust (stick). It has a smooth thinning to the top, where the capital is located.
- The capital is the uppermost part of the column on which the architrave (beam) rests. It is the most decorated element in the overall structure of the column.
Components of a classical antique column
Some styles imply the absence of the first or last element of the column.
The influence of columns on the interior
The columns in the interior are a sign of the greatness and prosperity of the family. Now there are a lot of private houses using elements of decorative columns in the design. But basically, these are not as remarkable as in the "old times", ordinary brick plastered parts of the walls. Undoubtedly, even the arrangement of such home decoration elements will bring classic elegance and create an atmosphere of comfort. But what happens if you mentally imagine the interior of the living room with Doric columns? The capital inherent in this order of classical architecture with its stylistic manners will breathe an indescribable atmosphere into the dwelling.
An example of the use of Doric columns in the interior of a private house
You can choose columns and other styles or so-called orders.
- Ionic order. Unlike the Doric "male" order, the Ionic one has feminine features and smooth lines. Its distinguishing characteristic is the symmetrical capitals, twisted into volutes.
- Doric order. As described above, it has coarser, masculine features. It is distinguished by a strong thinning of the column shaft, as well as characteristic features cannelure (vertical grooves on the trunk).
- Corinthian order. It arose later than the others, therefore it has a rich finish with decorative elements.
Basic styles of classical columns
Each order is subdivided into several subgroups that characterize the territorial place of origin and national origin.
This classification is sufficient for a general understanding of the varieties of columns. You can pick up various options for such decor elements for an apartment in a hardware store. Thematic columns are mainly made of polyurethane. But if we talk about luxury, then carved wood has no equal.
Original columns from tree trunks, taken together with the root part
Classic style
Timeless classic looks great both in the style of clothing and in the design of the apartment. At the same time, the columns in the interior of the apartment occupy a special place. Their presence brings a certain royal soul into the atmosphere of the room. Thanks to the wide use of classical antique columns, it turns out to create a majestic interior of the house. It can be baroque, with its flashy excess, made in white and pink tones with golden inserts and frames. Columns are at the forefront.
Stylish marble columns in a classic country house living room
The colonnade participating in the delimitation of residential areas is mainly made of polyurethane, as it has a small weight and great opportunities for choosing a capital pattern. A good solution would be to equip the bedroom with semi-columns or pilasters. To do this, it is necessary to mount the semi-columns into the wall, whereby a certain niche is created, into which the sleeping bed will become in the future. At the same time, furniture is selected after choosing the design of decorative columns.
Polyurethane architectural forms are easy to install and affordable
Important! Before installing such columns, it is necessary to decide in advance on the color scheme and style. This is necessary to select the coloring composition of the columns, since polyurethane tends to change color when sunlight hits its surface.
Wooden column between kitchen and living room
Wooden columns in the interior will find wide application in such classic styles as the style of old England. Polished facades of furniture, wall panels, and columns, painted in dark brown shades - business card of this style. The installation of wooden columns in a classic interior makes it possible to equip them with open or closed bookshelves, a mini bar or a shelf for open wine storage.
Wooden columns can be coated with colored or transparent varnish, depending on the style of the interior.
In addition to hallways and rooms, a column is installed in the interior of the kitchen and bathroom.
The bar counter of the kitchen space can have one reference point in the form of an antique column of the Ionic order. In this case, it is possible to arrange the column both for the entire length (from floor to ceiling), and partially.
Column in a modern interior
Columns in a modern interior perfectly combine functionality and stylistic relevance. Loft style involves decorating the room like an old, abandoned factory warehouse. In this case, decorative columns made of concrete or brick are suitable. Additional elements are not required, since the loft implies some minimalism in its manifestation.
Concrete column with raw surface
Natural stone is durable and looks beautiful in any light.
A column in a bright interior should focus on itself. Minimalism implies the widespread use of white, and this creates the effect of increasing space. This will require an accent, which will just be achieved through a matte color column (mainly dark tones). It can be installed both in metal version and in brickwork(or concrete).
An interesting solution would be to complement the Scandinavian style of your living space with decorative columns.
Column from natural stone in Scandinavian style interior
Location selection
As already described earlier in the article, a wonderful option is the installation of semi-columns in the wall of the bedroom. Here there are great opportunities for choosing design, lighting, wall niches and promising photo wallpapers.
Interior doorways are replaced by arches with patterned architraves, mounted on high antique columns, thinned to the ceiling.
Making a doorway with columns in a classic style
Paired columns as space dividers
Colonnaded zoning is possible in the arrangement of large studio apartments. At the same time, the columns are decorated with lighting (wall lamps) and other decorative elements that complement and emphasize the overall style idea of the room.
Columns can be used to zone studio apartments, large halls and ordinary rooms.
Art Nouveau columns
For example, a small fountain can be installed between two columns, and goldfish can be launched there.
The arrangement of columns is a modern trend in the organization of a beautiful and richly furnished living space in modern world. And thanks to the use of inexpensive materials, ancient antique columns have now become available to anyone.
Video: how to come up with columns for your interior
The interior of the apartment often includes elements of the classics. This allows you to make the home extraordinary, give it a certain spirit of romanticism and grace. If the environment contains objects that are not purely applied, but decorative, then it no longer looks boring and monotonous, but as something creative and alive. Such architectural elements as columns and arches have long been used as load-bearing structures and at the same time decorate the facades of buildings and inner space premises.
Arches and columns are often used in a classic interior style.
Columns and arches in the apartment today perform mainly not a supporting, but a decorative function.
An exception is the deliberate use of columns as supports in a large area.
The arch has long been considered the overlapping of the curvilinear shape of the openings in the wall, the spans between the columns and supports
Arches were used not only in the architecture of buildings, but also in the construction of bridges, and as engineering structures they were strictly symmetrical and were calculated according to the strength of materials formulas.
Each part of the arch has its own name. For instance:
- The cross section of the top is called the capstone
- Section near the support - with a heel stone, fifth arch or impost
- External fornix - extradosom
- Internal fornix - intradosom
Types of arches
Arches in shape can be of the following types:
- triangular
- Round or semicircular
- gently sloping
- oblique
- Lancet
- horseshoe
- Planar elliptical parabolic
- concave etc
An arch in a blind opening in a wall is called a blind arch..
By style, these types of arches are distinguished:
Arches can be different both in shape and style. Today, the fashion trend is asymmetrical arches.
Purpose of arches
Arches are used when they want to emphasize the organic design, the dominant smoothness of lines.
This technique is used for:
- Building façade and railings
- Combining two zones into one
- Division into zones
- Interior design elements:
niches, windows, doors, mirrors, etc.
Merging two zones into one occurs when removing interior doors :
Arches are used to divide the room into zones - The living room is combined with a corridor or kitchen
- Kitchen space - with a loggia
At the same time, the arch visually expands the space, creating a perspective. At the same time, the premises remain separate units.
Arches diversify the design of a long corridor and at the same time also divide it.
original design arched corridor A rectangular opening in a wall is also considered an arch..
arch materials
For the design of arches, different materials are used.
- Arches made of stone, concrete, brick look monumental
- Wooden arches are more decorative and create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
Both stone and wood are versatile materials used for both exterior and interior decoration premises - For interior decoration, you can also use drywall, fiberboard, PVC, chipboard
These types of materials are not used for finishing external arches..
How to make an arch with your own hands
It seems that such a curvilinear structure as an arch is extremely difficult to do with your own hands.
In fact, it is very simple to make it, especially from drywall..
For this you will need:
- U-shaped metal profile
- Self-tapping screws and dowels
- drywall sheet
- Drill, jigsaw
Sequencing:
- Marking the position of the arch
- We fix a metal profile to the wall, ceiling and floor
- We strengthen the frame with crossbars so that the drywall does not sag
- We cut a piece of the profile for the arch every 2 cm, bend it and screw it to the frame
- We cut drywall and sheathe the frame with it on both sides
- We cut the upper part for the arch with a jigsaw
- We produce putty surfaces and seams
Video: DIY simple arch
Columns in the interior of a modern apartment
As we have already said, columns in a city apartment are used mainly for decorative purposes today.
Columns in the interior can be both decorative elements and supporting structures. However, in a loft-style room and wherever there are no partitions, the column can also bear the load..
The upper part of the column is called the capital, the lower part is called the base. The capital may also be decorative ornament ceiling
Columns are made today from materials of this type:
- Marble, granite
- Brick, concrete
- Drywall
- Polyurethane
Today, the decoration of columns and arches with artificial stone or polymer concrete is also popular.
Finishing columns with drywall do it yourself
Dry bending drywall sheet Marble and granite are, of course, expensive materials, and they have to look for alternatives.
Columns made of lightweight drywall look like real ones. It doesn’t even come to mind right away that these are empty shells, that is, hollow objects (false columns)
In the manufacture of such columns, the most difficult thing is the frame.
The column can be rectangular or round shape. There is also another variety - pilasters. They refer to the columns conditionally. This is actually half of the column protruding from the wall.
Consider first how to make a rectangular column of drywall.
- Two bases are made from a metal profile (upper and lower)
- The contours of the base are compared using plumb lines
- The bases are fixed to the ceiling and floor with dowels
- Profile racks are attached to the corners of the bases
- All sides of the frame are reinforced with crossbars
- Then plasterboard is sheathed and the final finishing is finished with a plaster mixture.
Video: Do-it-yourself column decoration
How to make round columns
Round columns made of drywall are made according to the same principle. They are also easy to make with your own hands. But the manufacturing process is more laborious:
- First, circles are drawn on the ceiling and floor, also with the help of plumb lines.
- Cuts are made on the profile for the bases at a distance of 5 cm
- Profiles are combined with circles and fastened with dowels
- A sheet of drywall on one side is notched along the entire length, also at a distance of 5 cm between the notches
- The finished sheet is bent around the frame, the cuts are sealed with a plaster mixture and left to dry.
- Then attach the sheet to the guide profile
- Make the final finish, complementing the stucco if necessary
Polymer concrete in the interior of apartments
Column coated with liquid polymer concrete What if drywall and stucco are not your favorite type of finish, and you prefer an interior that is more close to the natural style?
Then the columns are not made of drywall, but, for example, made of polymer concrete or artificial stone
The texture of these materials is similar to the texture of natural stone - granite.
Polymer concrete (plast cement) - concrete compound, epoxy resin and filler (quartz sand, granite chips, etc.)
Polymer concrete is much more expensive than conventional concrete.
Finishing the column with polymer concrete
It is easier and cheaper to first make a column of ordinary concrete, and then apply the top layer of liquid lightweight polymer concrete.
You can do it like this:
- We assemble the bases and the frame in the same way as in the manufacture of drywall columns
(In the bases we make additional crossbars for attaching reinforcement) - We insert reinforcement into the frame and sheathe it with pieces of plywood (in one of the pieces we leave a hole for pouring concrete)
- We make concrete pouring
- After hardening and drying, remove the plywood
- We spray polymer concrete from the plaster gun on top of the column
It is also possible to apply a layer of polymer concrete, for example, on the countertop, on the outer wall of the fireplace, etc.
- It is also possible to produce interior items from polymer concrete by pouring into a mold that must be pre-designed.
However, this method is expensive and requires equipment.
What complements the interior in a classic style
Columns and arches in the interior of the apartment are not the only elements in the classic style.
To complement the interior can:
- Bas-reliefs and frescoes made of decorative plaster
- Items in vintage style:
- antique candlesticks and vases
- Venetian furniture, etc.
Video: Lightweight polymer concrete
Since time immemorial, columns have been an integral element of classical interiors, made with elements of antiquity. It is thanks to the use of columns that designers achieve the sublimity inherent in interiors that are made in a classic style. Creating projects of modern interiors, designers still pay tribute to antiquity, thanks to which many unique stylistic concepts with elements of antiquity were released, in which the columns gradually lose their functional load, performing only a decorative function. Despite this, modern high-rise buildings are characterized by a special design, in the structure of which columns are assigned the role of load-bearing elements, which necessitates solving a difficult but very interesting task, the essence of which is to adapt the columns as one of the main structural elements to a certain stylistic concept. interiors. At the same time, most of them are far from the classical direction, which does not prevent them from being a very organic detail of many interiors.
Columns in the interior: how to emphasize the originality of design solutions?
Loft, hi-tech, underground… the columns present in all these modern styles not only emphasize their technogenicity and functionality, but also give them a special expressiveness peculiar only to these trends. Yes and appearance the columns present in such interiors are very specific - here they appear in the form of metal supports or columns finished with rough concrete. No less relevant, fantasy art deco style often also cannot do without columns.
But even if the design of the house does not provide for the presence of load-bearing supports, stylized columns in the art deco interior will become that juicy accent that will not only emphasize the uniqueness of the style, but also streamline the space. Often about columns and about options their decorations are remembered only when they acquire housing, design features which imply the presence of load-bearing columns, which is not possible to get rid of. In this case, the owners are faced with a choice: competently arrange the columns and turn them into a “highlight” of the interior, or disguise, as many believe, awkward pillars located in the middle of the room. Which solution will be the most beneficial? You can make your choice by reading the materials of this article.
Historical sketch or tribute to antiquity
Translated from Latin, column ("columna") means a pillar, which is mainly characterized by a cylindrical shape, but round, square and multifaceted columns are not uncommon. From ancient times, columns were considered a symbol of ancient and classical architecture and were supporting structures, which later began to perform a decorative function. The column as an architectural element consists of three main parts:
- The base, also called the base, is the lower part of the column, which bears the main load. Often for decorative design bases use horizontal grooves;
- The central part or shaft of a column, which is characterized by smoothness or decorative design, implying the decoration of the shaft with flutes, which are vertical grooves;
- The capital is the upper part of the column, which, like the base, may be missing. According to the architects, this is the most expressive part of the column, which is achieved through multiple decorative elements that decorate the capital. This is a volute, which is a spiral curl, and a palmette - a symmetrical ornament in the form of palm leaves, and royal bas-reliefs.
The first columns became an attribute of ancient Greek temples, where they, made mainly of snow-white marble, gave the building additional airiness, while being a reliable support for the roof of the temple. The period of classicism was marked by a new round of popularity of columns, when they began to perform not only a decorative, but also a practical function.
Representing powerful cylindrical supports, they propped up high ceilings, decorated with numerous stucco moldings, which significantly increased the overall weight of the structure and, as a result, needed support. Decorated with bas-reliefs, such columns were made of marble and other expensive types of stone. To date, designers are actively using columns as an element of interior decoration, and also offer to implement the most daring solutions not only for large-sized apartments, but also for housing of a small area.
Columns in the apartment photo
Materials for the manufacture of columns
Architectural columns in the apartment have long been made of decorative stone, marble, granite, basalt and metal, and modern designers offer to pay tribute to tradition if columns play the role of supporting structures in the design of your building. However, due to the high cost of these materials and the predominantly decorative function of the columns, experts recommend using non-natural materials for their manufacture, such as polyurethane and gypsum, which we will discuss separately.
Polyurethane
It is considered one of the most popular materials for the manufacture of columns that perform a decorative function. Polyurethane is very popular among both famous designers and beginners, due to the fact that this material is easy to work with. The main advantages of the material are as follows:
- In view of the lightness of the material and ease of handling, even a beginner can work with polyurethane;
- Columns, for the manufacture of which polyurethane was used, can be painted in a wide variety of colors and at the same time do not think about choosing specialized paints and varnishes, but purchase the most affordable acrylic paints;
- Polyurethane is an ideal choice for those who plan to install a column decorated with many decorative elements in their apartment, since the smallest details of a fancy shape can be easily made from polyurethane;
- Polyurethane columns, which can be bought from retail stores at low prices, can also be custom-made according to your sketch;
- Like all materials, polyurethane is also characterized by disadvantages, the main of which is a change in color a few years after the initial installation of the columns.
Gypsum
It is considered a classic material for the manufacture of columns, which means that it remains popular among designers who already have experience in the manufacture of supporting structures in the interior. Columns made of gypsum are easy to restore, which allows you to easily restore the original appearance of the structure and editing, thanks to which the architect can make a column decorated with fancy decorative elements. It is possible to eliminate the shortcomings that form during the work thanks to grinding, which can also be carried out by a specialist who previously worked in this field.
columns video
The functional purpose of the columns in the interior of the apartment
- Decorative function - the most common role of columns in modern interiors, which can be played with the most different ways described below;
- Masking of load-bearing structures or unsightly communications located in places accessible to prying eyes;
- Space zoning. The most common examples of the implementation of this function of columns are the following: using columns, they decorate the entrance to the room or visually separate the dining area, surrounding it with columns;
- Visual expansion of the space of the room, which is achieved through vertical stripes creating the effect of a high ceiling;
- The function of supporting structures is also one of the most common uses for columns. It is implemented if the interior is made in a classic or antique style, which is characterized by high ceilings, decorated with stucco and other elements that make the overall weight of the structure heavier;
- A practical function involving the use of columns as cabinets and shelves. Despite the fact that this role of the columns is partly functional, they can be made of polyurethane or drywall, which are less durable than marble or granite;
Columns: design variations
Columns in the interior may be present in the form of:
- Colonnades, a variation of which are arched colonnades;
- Paired columns and columns united by an arch;
- Semicolumn.
The functional role of the colonnades in the interior is, as a rule, in the zoning of space. Creating an airy and light, but at the same time distinct division of space into zones, colonnades contribute to the unobtrusive delimitation of space, visually extending from one wall to another. Arched colonnades contribute to a clearer, local zoning. The colonnade as a functional element carries a certain aesthetic load of the interior, which is created due to the original, bewitching rhythm of the columns, contemplating which, one can forget about time and all worldly problems. In the case when the colonnade is designed at the construction stage, they can also carry a functional load, acting as a supporting structure.
Paired columns are the traditional way of organizing columns in a room. For example, columns are installed on both sides of a fireplace, window or flight of stairs. In the event that paired columns are located near opposite walls, they will also effectively cope with the role of space zoning, highlighting zones with different functional purposes in space. By combining the columns with an arch, you will even more clearly indicate the division of space into zones. In the event that there are sharp protrusions of the walls in the room, which somehow need to be masked, a column is installed next to the protrusion, which will restore the stylistic unity of the interior and at the same time hide the unsightly protrusion. In most cases, paired columns do not carry a functional load, performing only a decorative function, which necessitates the design of columns that creates unity with the overall stylistic concept. The choice of materials is also determined by the same considerations. For example, stylization under the antique style is carried out using inexpensive materials that imitate stucco molding, characterized by high-quality decorative finishes.
Half columns are an imitation of columns protruding from a wall. Despite the existing external differences, the functional roles of columns and semi-columns are similar: the latter also visually delimit the space, highlighting the most important stylistic accents, for example, the space near the fireplace or window. Unlike columns, semi-columns are not subject to such strict requirements for fastening, due to the absence of a functional load on them. It is enough just to fix them against the wall, and they will become no less expressive interior detail.
Columns are often an essential element of open-plan spaces. However, in order for the column to become an organic detail of the interior, made in one style or another, and create the impression of a coherent picture, it must be beaten, since a well-designed column will carry not only a functional load, but also bring aesthetic pleasure.
Tip #1: Make the Center of the Main Column Feel Good
It will be nice if the column, located next to the familiar route through the house, is pleasant to the touch, and you want to touch it. For example, wrap a wooden column with rough rope from below and up to the level of your hands. This will not only make the column tactilely pleasant, but will also become a decorative scratching post - an indispensable item in a house where representatives of the cat family live.
Tip #2: Cover the center column with decorative stone
If there is an impressive column in your room, bet on its lining with decorative stone. This will not only remind you of the original purpose of the column, but also add originality to the interior due to the contrasting combination of rough stone and softer material used to decorate the room. In addition, it will become an actual design technique, implying a combination of internal and exterior finish premises due to a small inclusion of materials for finishing the facade in the interior of the room.
Tip #3: Convert two adjacent columns into a shelving unit, wine cabinet, or media center
In a modern interior, it is popular to use two adjacent columns in the form of a rack designed for decorative figurines or commemorative photographs. And if a home-made rack is sheathed with the material with which the rest of the built-in furniture in the room is finished, it will organically fit into the interior of the room.
And if the column is located near a cozy corner for family or friends gatherings, surround it with a cabinet body, turning it into an ideal place to store wine, books or CDs, depending on the location of the column.
And for those who do not know where to place the TV in an open-plan apartment, we advise you to turn a column with a practical purpose into a media center, which will become a good place to place a TV and a music center. In the event that you do not plan to do this right away, install a block of electrical outlets near the column.
Tip #4: Turn a Column into a Room Divider and Delimit Your Intimate Space
If several columns are located between two spaces characterized by different functional purposes, install a cabinet or rack between them, which will not only visually delimit the space into zones, but also become an excellent storage place for personal items. And if the front part of the column is decorated with built-in shelves, it will effectively delimit a more private area from the main space of the room.
Tip #5: Creating Contrast Between Styles and Materials
If the column is finished with materials that contrast in color and texture with the main finish, it will become a bright accent detail of the interior, characterized by minimalist decor. In addition, the column can be decorated in a classic style, which will create a contrasting style in a modern setting.
Columns equipped with a niche need electric lighting, which will allow you to use a decorative niche to display your favorite artwork or sculpture. And a fashionable technique borrowed from shoe stores is the design of columns with a seat in the form of a soft back surrounding the column. Another way to design paired columns is to install a bench between them, which will become a convenient place to change shoes.
And finally, tip number 7: Follow your preferences and decorate the columns to your liking
For example, durable wooden poles can be used as load-bearing columns, which can be decorated with objects dear to your heart or expensive from a historical point of view: posters, works of art, antique crockery and other decorative items. And these are not all ways of decorating columns.
Follow your imagination and choose the design method that is closest to you and your loved ones.
Humanity has been familiar with columns for a very long time - at least several millennia, if not tens of thousands of years. Previously, they were used exclusively as supporting structures for the vault, but today their task has changed somewhat - such a thing as decorative columns has appeared, which have become a popular decoration for human housing.
Along with popularity, this element of decor has acquired a very low cost - the manufacture of only one decorative column can result in a decent amount. You can make it cheaper, but it can really be done only at the expense of quality deterioration. There is another option, from which the quality of the column does not suffer at all, but rather wins - this option provides independent production such decorative element, which will be discussed in this article. Together with the Dream House website, we will consider in detail the options that will allow you to make decorative columns with your own hands, if not simply, then at least not very difficult.
DIY decorative columns photo
Decorative columns: types and their features in manufacturing
Almost all decorative columns that a person uses in one way or another to decorate his living space can be divided into types according to three criteria.
And the third sign by which decorative columns for the interior can be classified is the material from which they are made. It is worth talking about this in more detail, since both the characteristics of the product and the technology of its manufacture depend entirely on the material.
What to make a decorative column with your own hands: materials and their features
The choice of material should be taken responsibly - as mentioned above, the life of the columns and the complexity of their manufacture by one's own hands depend on it. Among the most common materials from which decorative columns are made today, the following types can be distinguished.
- Decorative foam column. It can be said that this is the most cheap option, but you can not count on the full-fledged manufacture of columns from it. Styrofoam for columns will have to be purchased. This is a kind of fixed formwork in the form of cylinders cut along. They are installed in the right place, after which their internal cavity is poured with concrete - a kind of molds that are not removed after the concrete dries. The technology for making such columns with your own hands seems to be simple, but as for finishing and operation, there are several pitfalls here. Plastering foam is very difficult - this time. And the second drawback is that it is soft (this material is great for stone or mosaic finishing, but not for plastering and painting).
Decorative foam columns photo
- Decorative columns made of wood. The option is excellent, especially if you plan to use a lot of wood in the interior of the room. Making high-quality wood columns is not as easy as it might seem at first glance - at least you can’t do it with ordinary home tools. Needed at least lathe, on which the column is sharpened in parts, and they are already assembled into a single product by installing anchors.
Decorative wooden columns photo
- Decorative plaster columns. For their manufacture, molds are needed - today this is not a problem at all. Gypsum columns are made by casting, which is very easy to do at home. This is a definite plus of this material, but besides it there are also minuses. First of all, this is a complex and painstaking technology for finishing the columns, as they say, to the standard - the gypsum product is puttied with a very thin layer in order to eliminate various kinds of shells formed during the casting process. After that, it is cleaned and only then mounted and painted. By itself, this process is simple, you just need to be patient, especially when it comes to columns of complex configuration, decorated with bas-reliefs. By the way, in almost the same way you can cast columns from concrete.
Decorative columns made of plaster photo
- Decorative stone columns. This material is remarkable in that the columns made from it do not require finishing. Of the minuses, one can note the fact that they are not suitable for every interior. In most cases, they look massive and look good only in large rooms. We can say that decorative stone columns are in some way similar to foam plastic columns - both materials are used as fixed formwork. That is, first, a cylindrical formwork is constructed from stone, similar to brickwork, which is subsequently filled with concrete. If the core of the column is reinforced with metal, then it can also perform load-bearing functions. Styrofoam columns can be reinforced in the same way.
Drywall. Here is another material that can be used to make decorative columns with your own hands. This method of making columns should be discussed separately - oddly enough, but in home repairs it is used most often.
Decorative stone columns photo
How to make decorative plasterboard columns with your own hands
Despite the fact that almost anything can be made from drywall, there are still problems with the columns of the classical cylindrical shape - it is very difficult to make them, although it is possible. They are made gradually - in the sense that at first a multifaceted structure is made with many small planes, which are subsequently smoothed out with putty. This business is by no means for home craftsmen - this is a serious job that requires capital theoretical and practical skills. It should also be noted here that in many respects the complexity of manufacturing a cylindrical column of drywall depends on its diameter - the thicker the support column, the easier it is to give it a smooth outline.
Another thing is the columns of a rectangular shape or some other angular configuration. They are very easy to make, and they are mounted according to the principle of making boxes, which are used to mask pipelines and other communications. If we are talking about decorative columns of such a section, then it is better than drywall to come up with a material for their manufacture.
How to make a decorative column with your own hands photo
Decorative columns: finishing options
As you understand, not every material from which modern decorative columns are made can boast of the absence of the need for finishing. And those who have this dignity have an appearance that can please all people. In general, one way or another, the decoration of these interior elements has a place to be and cannot be dispensed with. Finishing technologies not so many, and all of them can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
- Painting. The simplest and inexpensive option column decorations. Suitable for almost any type of material - concrete, gypsum, wood, and, of course, plasterboard columns. Only columns made of decorative stone and similar materials are not subject to painting.
- Decorative plaster. This option for finishing columns is attractive in that it allows you to give the product a look that is almost one hundred percent similar to the look of natural polished stone - for example, marble, the surface of which is obtained using. For independent implementation, this is a very complex type of finish, although not hopeless - if desired, this technology can be easily mastered.
- Mosaic. Despite the fact that this good way decorating columns, yet it has one significant drawback - it is far from acceptable for every room. In principle, in some way this moment depends on the type - if it is a small natural pebble, then it is quite possible to use such material for decorating columns in halls, and other similar premises of an apartment or house.
There are other materials for finishing a clone - designers, in an attempt to jump over each other, vying with each other, offer to use a variety of non-standard materials. For example, to finish the column, in their opinion, you can use almost any flooring- with the same success, this element of the interior can be draped with fabric. In general, everything here is without restrictions.
And in conclusion of the topic about decorative columns, only one thing remains to be added: to say that the independent production of columns is a very laborious process that will not guarantee that you will really like the end result. If you have already decided that such decor should be in your home, then it is better to turn to professionals about its manufacture. Alternatively, the columns can be purchased ready-made - the most popular in this regard are polyurethane decorative columns, which do not require final finishing.
The column is the personification of classical and ancient architecture. Many people wonder why the columns in the interior have not yet lost their popularity, but on the contrary, they strongly attract both architects and designers. As for the historical interiors, the columns there were used exclusively for support. Today, they mostly play a purely decorative role. Although, in some cases, columns are used to hide communications, because. represent the best way. And it is better to use double columns in the interior or in pairs, i.e. two or three pairs can be present in the room at once, more can be, it all depends on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room.
In what interior are columns used
It is not difficult to guess that the columns are used in those houses that resemble castles and palaces and are made in a luxurious royal style. Only then will the columns look majestic, solemn and proud, and the dwelling will take on the image of classical beauty. However, columns are also used in modern interiors, because now there is a huge variety in the choice of their shapes, sizes and materials.
Column materials
The traditional materials from which the columns were made were considered to be concrete, granite, marble, etc. In other words, reliable and durable materials. At present, artificial modified stone is already being used, and the creation processes have improved significantly, thanks to the rapid development of technology.
Although, marble columns are still successfully used and represent a very stylish and fashionable accent in the interior, as well as wooden columns.
Only now the columns have different sizes, configuration and functionality. In general, according to the recommendations of designers, the material is determined by the style and functional purpose of the room. For example, polyurethane foam columns may well be suitable for a bedroom, for a living room with a balcony and access to the second floor, you will need more durable material, such as concrete or basalt, because. in this case, the functional purpose of the structure is not just decorative, but also serves as a support to support the weight of the balcony, i.e. in this situation, the columns are already part of the architectural layout of the building. And the material for finishing the surface is selected based on the design. For example, both imitation of marble and just a smooth surface covered with paint can perfectly suit the classic style of the interior. For country, stone cladding is wonderful.
Functional purpose of columns
In addition to decorative functions, columns can be used for other purposes. For example, for visual correction of the proportions of rooms. Also, with their help, you can mask the supporting structure or unsightly protruding communications structures, i.e., for example, all sorts of pipes that are undesirable to flaunt. The column in this case represents the best way for disguise. Very often they are also used for zoning space.
There are a lot of techniques for this, for example, you can circle the dining area with columns or use a series of columns to design the entrance to the room in this way
or hall.
And in cases where the design of the house is made from scratch, and the ceiling has an extremely large load, then the columns, as in the old days, can serve as a considerable support and take on some of the weight. For visual expansion space, they are also the best fit, because they are nothing more than vertical lines, which means, as evidenced by the law, pull the room up. If you arrange these slender and graceful pillars along the perimeter in a row, then the height of the ceilings in the room will increase significantly. Concerning modern interior, then with the help of false columns you can apply practicality and use them, say, as a locker, and if you place the column at the bar counter, then it can be completely adapted to a wonderful mini-bar.
And yet, in what rooms would the columns be appropriate?
Due to the variety of shapes, textures, sizes and colors of columns available today, they will be appropriate in almost any room. The most common options are stairwells, archways, fireplaces, balconies, verandas.
If you decorate the interior of a living room with columns, then you need to use pairs, or even better, a whole composition of these decorative elements.
Moreover, design with columns is subject not only classic style interior, but also modern. For example, modern - square columns will look very stylish in such an interior, as well as in high-tech style. Columns give the room solemnity and majesty. They are like exclamation marks that you can't ignore.
If this is a studio apartment, then with the help of a colonnade you can perfectly separate the kitchen from the dining room
or corridor from the living room.
For zoning a room with a large area, it is enough just to use different columns with various finishes and form, but at the same time, with some kind of generalization, and any guest who enters you will subconsciously immediately divide the space into separate zones - these are the properties of our perception. The main thing to remember is that all elements and components of the interior should be organically combined with each other - this is the basis of any interior design with columns.
