Over the past decade or so, it has become more common to use architectural column when designing public spaces such as hotel atriums or plazas. This is because columns serve a couple of purposes: They make the structure look more attractive, and they also help bear the structure’s weight and load.

There are many column styles that are widely used. These range from traditional Greek or Roman columns to designs customized for each project.

There are three column components that you need to know about if you want to incorporate a column structure in your home or building in order to add some personality. With these three, only your own imagination limits you as to the design you can produce.

Component #1: Porch Columns

Our English word porch comes from the Greek word, portico. The word literally means a temple entryway that was decorated with columns. In other words, every time you use the word porch, you’re using a word that at one time implied the use of columns. It’s appropriate, therefore, to use columns on your porch.

Today, you can find porch columns in various designs and sizes, all of which define your house’s front side in a unique way. One intricate choice could be a fluted column with rings at the base and top. This is essentially a Roman style column.

A round porch column is also available for porches, as are tapered round ones which provide an extra-formal accent. A traditional round one also brings a sense of elegance to the porch, whereas a square column suggests something of our country’s rural tradition.

Component #2: Exterior Columns

A second component in the architectural world of columns are exterior columns. These make great bases for a sun dial or for a garden bird bath.

You can find various custom sizes, and they can be made from numerous materials. You can create these with a uniform appearance or with a staggered look.

Some people even use columns as seats in their gardens. You might also use a wide base for a table while using a small one as a side table. And finally, some use columns as fence posts, either around their yard or for an outdoor deck.

Component #3: Interior Columns

Our final component is the indoor column. This is a rather new development, but more and more modern homes are incorporating columns inside.

They can be used, for instance, to provide dividers between the den and kitchen. Or they might be used to define an eating area which is in the living room. This is the primary purpose of indoor columns: to set off one area as its own entity, within another main room.

If you’re using interior columns, you can choose from either stone, marble or wood. However, the most affordable option, and the one that most select, are fiberglass columns, or perhaps a mixture of fiberglass and stone.

Since interior columns are primarily decorative and not load-bearing, fiberglass works fine, and gives your room a more elegant look.

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Article Source: The Correct Way to Use Columns

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The Correct Way to Use Columns